Ajan Caneda
Copy Editor
The women’s soccer team battled hard against Navy on Oct. 27, but was defeated 1-0 in Annapolis, Md. A win or draw would have clinched a Patriot League playoff spot for the Orange and Blue, but one-loss Navy broke the scoreless game and protected the lead from a Bison shooting surge in the second half. Lehigh’s win against Holy Cross eliminated the Bison from playoff contention.
With Navy being undefeated in the Patriot League, the Bison were determined to give the Midshipmen their first loss in conference play. Navy started out aggressively on offense with a 15-5 shot advantage in the first half. Goalie Sandita McDermott ’13 halted Navy’s barrage temporarily, saving seven shots. The game appeared to be 0-0 going into halftime, but Navy scored their first goal in the 43rd minute to take the lead.
“[Our] team kept the shape and formation the same to start the second half but switched to a more offensive minded shape halfway through in hopes to get a goal and tie the game up,” McDermott said.
The Bison were more successful defending Navy in the second half, limiting them to eight shots and zero corner kicks. Courtney Nelson ’15 and Liz Dwornik ’14 combined for nine of the Orange and Blue’s 14 shot attempts in the game. Even with the shot advantage in the second half, Navy’s defense controlled the tempo of the game, as the Bison were unable to find the net. McDermott had 11 saves in the game. Nelson had three shots on goal, while Chelsey Garkowski ’14, Cassie Denger ’15 and Dwornik each had one on target.
“We put three players in the back instead of four [in the second half] which did help us get an increased offensive attack but unfortunately not enough for this particular day,” McDermott said.
The Orange and Blue finished their season 10-9 overall with a 3-4 record in Patriot League play, improving from a 5-10-1 record last year. They also had six shutouts this season, including three straight against Buffalo, St. Bonaventure and UMBC.
Although disappointed from the loss, McDermott is proud of her team’s effort and the strong showing it put together this year. She ends her Bison career second in program history in both shutouts and goals-against average. She also finished third in save percentage, fourth in wins and fifth in saves. Joining McDermott on the graduating stage are Taryn Boucher ’13, Corinne Collins ’13, Meghan Fitzpatrick ’13, Emily Trosch ’13, Jenna Tryon ’13 and Kayla Yee ’13.
“Navy is the first place team, currently, and we played an amazing game against them. Having a 1-0 result is something to be proud of,” McDermott said. “I just couldn’t be happier to have been surrounded by such an amazing group of girls and coaching staff to allow us all do what we love and just play soccer. Having the chance to break school records and now be listed on several of the record lists is amazing and more than anything I ever imagined out of my college career.”
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