NEWBURGH, N.Y. – The Mount Saint Mary College women's soccer team captured their first win of the season this evening against Rutgers-Newark in dramatic fashion.
The Basics
Score: Mount Saint Mary College 3, Rutgers-Newark 0
Records: Mount Saint Mary College (1-2, 0-0 Skyline) | Rutgers-Newark (1-2, 0-0)
Rapid Recap
A lot was going on for Mount Saint Mary this evening as the team welcomed senior defender Darla Petricca back to the field and saw junior midfielder Lily Tanko make her goalkeeping debut. All of the goalies for the Knights were inactive due to injury, so Tanko stepped up and had a masterclass of a performance between the pipes. The first half started with Rutgers-Newark getting many offense chances right away, testing Tanko who was ready for battle. The Scarlet Raiders were controlling the pace offensively throughout the first 30 minutes, with the Knights sprinkling in some chances of their own. Rutgers-Newark got on the board first when they were able to connect with a through ball that was placed in the back of the net. It was not long before the Knights responded. Faith Welsh tied things up getting her foot on a beauty of a cross from freshman forward Rosalia Fornino, who recorded her first collegiate point. Less than 30 seconds later, junior Kaitlin Hansen struck a perfect volley off a pass from Emma Mihale that soared over the keeper's head giving the Knights their first lead of the season.
The energy was high at Kaplan Field as the second half kicked off, but Rutgers-Newark came out quickly and tied up the game only a few minutes into the second half. Both teams combined for multiple great chances, yet neither squad could convert. Goalkeeping was strenuous in this match, with a total of 24 shots placed on net during the 90 minutes. In the 79th minute, Faith Welsh had a good-looking opportunity off a cross to head the ball in but wasn't able to squeak the ball past the keeper. It wasn't until the 88th minute of the game that the Knights were able to break the tie. Sophomore Grace Morra got a tough angle shot off but it was saved off the body of the Rutgers-Newark goalie. Sophomore midfielder Isabella Williams was in the right place at the right time and scored off the rebound to give the Knights the go-ahead goal late in the second half. The Mount was able to hold off any last-ditch effort from the Scarlet Raiders to come out victorious 3-2 thanks to a valiant effort from interim goalie Lily Tanko.
Notes and Numbers
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