Way Nets 80th Minute Goal to Cap Pioneers' Come From Behind Win Over 'Wick
Utica, N.Y. (9/21/2011) - It was a back and forth game that featured four lead changes, but when it was all said and done, the Utica College women’s soccer team came out with a 4-3 victory over visiting Hartwick College in the Empire 8 Conference opener for both squads Wednesday night at Charles A. Gaetano Stadium. With the Pioneers’ trailing by one goal, 3-2, in the 73rd minute junior Samantha Spohler began the home team's charge with her conference-best sixth goal of the season to knot the score at 3-3. Just under seven minutes later senior Chelsea Way netted a goal that she will not soon forget, after a tip pass from Spohler, to put the Pioneers’ on top, 4-3. UC goalie Samantha Glockling tied a career-high with eight saves to help Utica preserve the key conference victory.
UC snapped a two game slide and improved its overall record to 3-4, while the visitors dropped to 1-3 on the year. More importantly, the Pioneers secured their first conference victory of the season in a contest that could prove to very pivotal come playoff time.
For Chelsea Way and the rest of the seniors on the Pioneers squad, it was their first career victory over Hartwick after going 0-1-2 against the Hawks in three previous meetings.
Sophomore forward Sarah Southwell played a crucial role in the Pioneers’ success as she netted one goal and added one assist, while former all-conference selection Jill Benoit added her second goal of the season.
Hartwick took a 1-0 lead early in the contest when Cristina Sacari tallied her second goal of the season, off an assist from MacKenzie Shipley, to give the Hawks the advantage just 5:16 into the first half.
UC responded with two consecutive goals to steal the lead right back. Southwell tallied her third goal of the season, and she also assisted on Benoit’s goal, which gave UC a 2-1 lead in the 27th minute.
Hartwick’s Kate Schild knotted the game up at 2-2 before the half when she scored her first goal of the year after a handball in the box led to a penalty kick for the Hawks. Schild put the PK into the lower right corner of the net to tie the game up in the 30th minute.
After 20 minutes of scoreless action in the second half, the ‘Wick put themselves in position for the victory after Sacari secured her second tally of the night, following a lead pass from Kylie Thayer, which resulted in a 3-2 advantage for the visitors.
In the 73rd minute UC leading scorer Samantha Spohler made a long run down the left side of the field and eventually ripped home the game-tying goal, which deflected off the hands of Hartwick goalie Hope Brown, to knot the score at 3-3.
Way’s game-winner was her fifth collegiate goal and it ignited the anxious crowd at Charles A. Gaetano Stadium.
Brown tallied five saves in net for the Hawks.