Pair Of Second Half Goals Leads Stevens To ECAC Win
Danny Vohden
BRACKET |
TOURNAMENT HOMEPAGE
The fourth seeded Stevens Institute of Technology women's soccer team overcame a one goal deficit Wednesday to beat No. 5 Kean University 2-1 in the first round of the ECAC Tournament.
The win moved Stevens' record to 12-7 while Kean dropped to 10-7-2.
After freshman
Lindsey Mahnken made a save in the second minute, the Ducks came back firing with four unanswered shots over a seven minute period that failed to reach the back of the net. Kean responded though, scoring a goal in the 23
rd minute.
Freshman Kaitlyn Pallitto took advantage of the ball bouncing out of Mahnken's grasp and knocked it into the back of the net.
The Ducks answered with a series of shots over the final 20 minutes, but Kean junior keeper KC Nunez made two saves while two more went high and wide to preserve Kean's lead going into the break.
The Ducks continued their pressure once the second half started and were finally rewarded with a goal in 75
th minute.
From 15 yards out, senior
Ann Heine fired a low flying shot that went past Nunez in the left corner for the unassisted score. The goal was Heine's seventh of the season.
With a tie game, Kean responded with pressure of their own, but a trio of saves from Mahnken in the 80
th and 83
rd minutes kept the game deadlocked. The Ducks fought back with a pair of shots in the 82
nd minute before breaking the tie in minute 86 with an unassisted goal for sophomore
Raba Nassif.
The goal was Nassif's team-leading 16
th of the season.
Kean came back with an equalizer attempt in the final minute, but Mahnken made the save to clinch the win.
Stevens outshot Kean 24-13 in the win while Mahnken's nine saves tied a season and career high.
With the win, the Ducks have clinched a semifinal matchup with No. 1 Richard Stockton College on Saturday. Time and location are still yet to be determined.