Ithaca, Naz and Stevens Post Wins in E8 Opener
ITHACA 6, Alfred 1
The Ithaca College women's soccer team dominated Alfred late Saturday afternoon, dropping the Saxons by a score of 6-1 at Carp Wood Field. The win pushes Ithaca's record to 5-1-0 on the season, including a mark of 1-0 in conference play.
Junior
Kelsey King, sophomores
Taylor Baranowsky,
Megan Nash, freshmen
Cortnie Vaughn,
Kristyn Alonzo and
Margaret Crowell each scored one goal in the rout. All three Ithaca goalkeepers saw action, including junior
Beth Coppolecchia who played the first 79:33 and was credited with the win. Sophomore
Karen Macke played 7:10 and freshman
Carley Strachan played 3:17, marking the first collegiate appearance for both.
The Ithaca defense barely allowed any offensive pressure, holding Alfred to just two shots on goal in the contest. The Ithaca defense also prevented the Saxons from taking any corner kicks. The Bombers generated 37 total shots, with 18 going on goal. Ithaca also earned 13 corner kicks.
King scored the first goal of the game at 21:12 to put Ithaca ahead, 1-0. Senior
Kelly Pantason sent a pass into the goal mouth, bouncing the ball off two Alfred backs. King took possession and beat the Saxon goalkeeper for her fourth tally of the season.
The Bombers pushed their lead to 2-0 with a goal in the 40th minute. Junior
Sarah Woychick started the play, pushing the ball up the far side to the edge of the box. Woychick sent a pass in front, finding Alonzo for the one-timer. Woychick's assist marked her first collegiate point, while Alonzo's goal also marked her first as a Bomber.
It didn't take long for Ithaca to strike in the second half, as Nash converted on a feed from classmate
Holly Niemiec at 46:54. Nash's goal marked her first of the season, and pushed the Bombers' advantage to 3-0.
Just over three minutes later, Ithaca scored again to take a commanding 4-0 lead. Baranowsky netted her first of the season on a pass from King in the slot, marking the third-straight Ithaca tally on a pass through the goal box.
The Bombers continued to add to their lead, as Ithaca scored again to put the score at 5-0 in the 68th minute. Baranowsky started the play with a chip pass up the middle, finding Vaughn for a partial breakaway. Vaughn was able to beat the Saxon goalkeeper, marking her first collegiate point as a Bomber.
Alfred finally got on the board, netting a goal just six seconds after Ithaca to put the score at 5-1.
The Bombers added their finally tally in the 72nd minute, as Crowell converted on a pass from Vaughn for the first goal of her collegiate career. Crowell's tally pushed the score to 6-1 to give Ithaca the lopsided victory.
NAZARETH 5, Houghton 1
Host Nazareth scored four times in a 12:48 span early in the first half to take command of Saturday's Empire 8 women's soccer game against Houghton. Each team scored once in the second half for the 5-1 final score. During the scoring run, junior
Briana Vibbard had two goals while senior
Elizabeth Howell had one goal and a pair of assists. Sophomore
Michaela Soules also tallied a goal in each half.
With the victory, the Golden Flyers improve to 6-1 overall and 1-0 in Empire 8 games. Following the loss, the Highlanders drop to 3-3 overall and 0-1 in the conference.
Junior
Katie Trainor started Nazareth's first scoring chance 12:26 into the game with a long pass from the right wing near midfield. Trainor's pass was placed perfectly in the middle of Houghton's 18-yard box, and Howell controlled the pass then buried her shot. Less than five minutes later, Howell passed a long ball from midfield down the left wing to Soules. Soules made a move toward the endline around the defender then cut back into the box to put a hard shot into the Highlanders' net. The goal by Howell was her second of the season.
Minutes later, Vibbard scored the first of two goals. Howell assisted on Vibbard's first goal with a pass from inside the box. Vibbard capped the run with an unassisted goal at the 25:14 mark of the first half after she beat Houghton's goalie, Shawna Sprout, to a loose ball at the top of the Highlanders' box. Vibbard popped the ball over Sprout and it bounced into the goal before the Houghton defender was able to retreat and knock it away. Vibbard's two goals gives her a team-high four goals on the season.
With 50 seconds to play in the first half, Houghton's leading scorer, Stephany Ellison, and Nazareth's goalie,
Allison Dobles, collided trying to gain control of the ball near the top of the Golden Flyers' box. Dobles was whistled for the foul, and the ensuing free kick sailed over the Nazareth net. Dobles played the remainder of the half, but junior
Mackenzie Dunphy relieved her in the second half. Moments earlier, Ellison had a long shot ring off the cross bar.
Ellison put Houghton on the board 11:38 into the second period after receiving a through ball from Alexis Lamb. Ellison converted the transition scoring opportunity to give her nine goals on the season.
Soules recorded her second goal of the game and third of the season after a give-and-go with freshman
Paige Sullivan. The scoring opportunity started near midfield, and both girls put well-placed passes to each other around the Highlanders' defenders. Soules converted Sullivan's final pass, from the right side of the box toward the left post, to reclaim Nazareth's four-goal lead.
Dobles finished the first half with two saves, and Dunphy was credited with one save and allowed Houghton's lone goal in the second half. Sprout tallied eight saves and allowed Nazareth's five goals in 76:07 of action. Emma Arbuckle played the final 13:53 of the first before Sprout replaced her to begin the second half. Arbuckle had two saves.
The Golden Flyers finished with an 18-9 advantage in total shots, and they also had a 3-0 advantage in corner kick chances.
STEVENS 3, Utica 1
The Stevens Institute of Technology women's soccer team earned a 3-1 win over Utica College in the Empire 8 opener for both school's Saturday.
With the win, Stevens improves to 4-3 overall and 1-0 in the conference, while the loss drops the Pioneers to 4-2-1 and 0-1 in the Empire 8.
From the opening tap, Stevens dominated the action, taking 10 shots – five on goal – in the first 15 minutes, eventually getting a 1-0 lead when sophomore forward Raba Nasif scored her team-high sixth of the year. On the play, senior midfielder
Mariah Cleveland hit Nasif in-stride inside the 18-yard box with a perfectly delivered through-ball.
Shy of eight minutes later, the lead moved to two goals when sophomore midfielder
Kristen Goncalves was able to track down a loose ball after a thwarted breakaway, and then went on to bury her bid inside the right corner for her second marker of the season.
Junior
Carly Bean was able to get her first of the season in the 32nd minute when Nasif crossed from the right end line to Bean on the left side of the box. The latter controlled the cross and calmly drilled her shot into the upper-right corner.
The lead could have been more, but Pioneer goalie Kelly Heimerle made 11 saves, several of the spectacular variety, to keep Utica within three.
Despite being outscored 1-0 in the second half, Stevens controlled the action, field position and possession throughout. The Ducks held a 9-3 edge in shots and a 2-0 advantage in corners during the period, and closed the game with a 32-4 lead in shots and a 7-1 margin in corners.
Freshman
Lindsey Mahnken started the game in goal for Stevens to earn the win (4-2), with junior
Evelyn Ting coming on to play the second half. Heimerle – peppered with shots all day – made 14 saves in the loss for Utica.
Nassif led the Ducks with three points on the afternoon, with 13 players getting off shot attempts, three scoring goals and a total of four recording points.
HARTWICK 0, ELMIRA 0 (2OT)
In the Empire 8 Conference opener for both clubs, the Hartwick Hawks and Elmira Soaring Eagles played through 110 minutes of scoreless action to tie 0-0 at Elmira's Campus Field Saturday.
After averaging four goals over their opening three contests, the Hawks offense has now gone scoreless for the last three. 'Wick came away with the clean sheet, however, with keeper
Annie Millar making six saves in the game.
The Hawks had the advantage in shots in the opening half, 9-5, with Elmira returning the favor in the second, 7-5.
'Wick came close to going in front roughly 10 minutes from the final whistle in regulation. Sophomore
Alyssa Bennett had the opportunity but she put her effort wide of the Elmira goal.
The Hawks nearly won it midway through the first overtime session. Senior
Kylie Thayer drove a direct kick in off the crossbar. Sophomore
Cami Cleaveland followed up with a rebound but she put her shot over the bar.
At the tail end of the first overtime, Mollie Hamilton sent a floater in off the bar for Elmira but it stayed out ensuring the second overtime period.
In the second 10-minute period, Hamilton and Mackenzie Donohue had shots for the Soaring Eagles. Both were stopped by Millar. Junior
Kristen McKasty had the lone Hawks' shot but it was wide of goal.
Both teams took 17 shots in the contest. EC had a 10-9 edge in corners.
The result is the second straight tie between the Hawks and Soaring Eagles. The two teams drew 2-2 last season on Elmore.
ST. JOHN FISHER 2, Pitt-Bradford 0
The St. John Fisher College women's soccer team won 2-0 against previously undefeated University of Pittsburgh-Bradford on Saturday evening. Fisher broke its six-game losing streak and improves to 2-6 on the year.
Fisher consistently maintained possession, outshooting the Panthers 18-8.
Molly Beaton gave Fisher a 1-0 lead with a header past a diving Sarah Dailey. It was her second goal of the year.
Jamie Alloco nearly scored what would have been her first goal of the season, but Dailey came out of goal and made a good save.
The Cardinals extended their lead at the 58th-minute mark.
Taryn Guinta and
Carly Finn coordinated a give-and-go play before Guinta found the back of the net to score her third goal of the season.
Finn earned the assists on both goals.
Brooke Seavitt tallied four saves in 90 minutes in goal.