Category: Soccer

Ajan Caneda

Copy Editor

The women’s soccer team went 1-1 this past weekend to earn second place in the St. Mary’s Tournament in Moraga, Calif. It has been 13 years since the Orange and Blue have traveled to the West Coast and they started out with a 3-1 victory against CSU Bakersfield on Sept. 14. Two nights later, the Bison had trouble finding the net, as they fell 2-0 to Saint Mary’s (Calif.). Chelsey Garkowski ’14, Kayla Yee ’13 and Corinne Collins ’13 earned spots on the All-Tournament Team.

Traveling to the West Coast had no negative effects on the Orange and Blue, as Yee dished an assist to Garkowski leading to the first goal of the match in the fifth minute. CSU Bakersfield outshot the Bison 7-4 in the first half, but were unable to score on Sandita McDermott ’13 who had six saves in the game.

“It was great to play in the scenery we did on Friday,” forward Cassie Denger ’15 said. “The temperature was great and the sun was shining; it was a beautiful day to play.”

The Roadrunners continued their aggressive play, reeling off another 15 shots in the second half, but the Bison made their opportunities count. Liz Dwornik ’14 delivered a cross pass that led to a shot by Denger, which gave the Orange and Blue a 2-0 lead. Five minutes later, Jenna Tryon ’13 launched a long pass to Garkowski, leading to her second goal of the game and a team-leading four shots. The Roadrunners scored in the 80th minute to prevent the shutout.

Twenty-four players saw action in this game, and goalie Jessie Ashworth ’16 made her collegiate debut with two saves in 12 minutes of action.

“It was great to get a win on the West Coast,” Denger said. “By using all 24 players it really helped us keep the level of play high in the heat. We always had fresh legs on the field and it gave us a great advantage in the second half. Winning feels great no matter what coast you’re on.”

Although McDermott had a season-high 10 saves against Saint Mary’s, the Bison offense couldn’t get going, losing 2-0 to the host team. This is only the second time this season that the Orange and Blue were held scoreless.

The Gaels were able to jump out to an early lead with a goal in the 16th minute. Both teams battled for position to score, but it stayed 1-0 at halftime.

The Bison were determined to even the score with five more shot attempts in the second half. It would be to no avail, as the Gaels stopped their offensive flow. Saint Mary’s scored their second goal in the 88th minute to put the game away.

The Orange and Blue have their final game before Patriot League play tonight at 7 p.m. at home against Canisius.

“Going into conference play, we have the highest expectations. We have seen it all in the pre-conference season and hope to carry those experiences forward to help us have success in the Patriot League,” McDermott said.

Ajan Caneda
Copy Editor

The women’s soccer team had a solid week, picking up wins against Mount St. Mary’s and UMBC. Goal keeper Sandita McDermott ’13 held down the box and got her fourth shutout of the season. Unfortunately, the Orange and Blue’s win streak ended at four with a loss at Saint Francis (Pa.).

Behind a scoring blitz from Evelyn Nicinski ’15 and Courtney Nelson ’15, the Bison defeated UMBC 3-0 at home on Sept. 7. Three minutes into the game, Hannah Bonotto ’15 nailed a free kick into the box that found Chelsey Garkowski ’14, who headed the ball to Nicinski, which allowed her to score her first goal of the season. Garkowski  also battled for a 50-50 ball that rebounded to Nelson for another Bison goal.

Nelson, who made the transition from defender to forward this year, leads the team with four goals this season.

“It has actually been a pretty big mental transition; my mind has always been focused on stopping people from scoring,” Nelson said. “However, I’ve always been one of those people during practice that likes to shoot and get in on the offense.”

Corey Tipton ’14 capped off the victory with a goal off an assist from Brigit Falcon ’15 and Corinne Collins ’13 in the 69th minute. McDermott broke the Bison record for longest scoreless streak and had six saves for the game.

“I think the quick offense really helped us to seal the deal,” McDermott said. “Having so many great individual performances really has helped this team to keep the ‘team’ mentality moving forward.”

After a three-game shutout streak, the Orange and Blue were met with a potent offense by Saint Francis that defeated the Bison 5-1 on Sept. 9 at Loretto. It was a tough game, as the Red Flash had 22 shot attempts. Saint Francis scored two goals in the 17th and 43rd minute that gave them the 2-0 lead at halftime.

The barrage continued early in the second half with Saint Francis nailing three goals in less than three minutes to put the game away. Danielle Piccirilli ’16 scored the lone goal for the Bison in the 72nd minute.

Two nights later, the Orange and Blue bounced back from the loss to capture a 2-0 victory against Mount St. Mary’s at home.

It was a balanced game for the Bison, as they attempted 17 shots and held the Mountaineers to seven shots. Kayla Yee ’13 scored a goal off of a penalty kick at the three minute mark to get the Bison off to an early lead. Taryn Boucher ’13 stayed aggressive on the offensive end with five shot attempts and scored in the 76th minute to ice the game.

The Bison will travel to Moraga, Calif. to compete in the St. Mary’s Tournament this weekend.

“Each game is a new challenge, and there are only a number of things that we can do. We try to focus on fighting for each other, staying positive and keeping calm,” Nelson said.

Alex Wagner
Sports Editor

Player Profile

Sandita McDermott ’13

Rhinebeck, N.Y.

International Relations & Economics

Season stats:

Five starts in five games

Two shutouts

17 saves

The women’s soccer team has seen a remarkable early season turnaround. After conceding five goals in two tough losses to open the season, the Bison defense, led by goalie Sandita McDermott ’13 has tightened up to allow only one goal in the past three games. Thanks to the strong defensive effort, the Bison won those last three games against quality opponents.

“Coming off of two losses is difficult, but having the turnaround has really given the defense and the team as a whole a boost of confidence that has allowed us to have success in the past three games,” McDermott said.

In Sunday’s 3-0 victory over St. Bonaventure, McDermott made six saves. This strong individual performance gave her a ninth career shutout, tying her for fourth on the Bison’s all-time list.

“As a goalkeeper, shutouts are the ultimate definition of success … and being able to hold a team for 90 minutes is really relieving and rewarding, and it is made possible through maintaining focus, but more importantly the hard work of the 10 girls in front of me,” McDermott said.

Ajan Caneda
Copy Editor

Despite a 20-8 shot advantage for St. Bonaventure, the Bison women’s soccer team made their eight opportunities count and pulled off a 3-0 victory against the Bonnies on Sept. 2. This game marks the Orange and Blue’s third straight victory, bouncing back from an 0-2 start to the season.

In the 40th minute of the game, Liz Dwornik ’14 capitalized on her first shot opportunity, nailing a goal with an assist from both Cassie Denger ’15 and Kayla Yee ’13. Stiff defense allowed the Bison to keep their lead going into the half, despite a 10 shot showing from St. Bonaventure.

“The difference in the game was that we scored first. After we scored the first goal, we really just calmed down and took control of the game,” Dwornik said. “It was great to get our first win on the road and continue our winning streak.”

Courtney Nelson ’15 scored her third goal in four games after a cross from Chelsey Garkowski ’14 found its target in front of the net. The Bonnies would not go away though, as they reeled off 10 more shots in the second half, but nothing would get past the Orange and Blue. Goalie Sandita McDermott ’13, who moved up to fourth on the Bison’s all-time shutout list, had six saves that stopped any offensive rhythm for St. Bonaventure. Dwornik ended all hopes of a comeback, scoring her second goal of the game in the 75th minute.

“I think my performance is not only contingent upon my presence on the field but it is equally accredited to the girls in front of me,” McDermott said. “Our back line of Bridget Gilmartin ’14, Lauren Dandie ’16, Hannah Bonotto ’15 and Corinne Collins ’13 has really become a unit that works extremely well together which only makes my job easier.”

Two nights earlier, the Bison defeated Buffalo 1-0 at home. Neither team gained an advantage early, but the Bison were determined to score first. The Orange and Blue had a 16-5 shot advantage on the Bulls, which included 11 in the second half. After a scoreless first half, Denger launched a corner kick that found Nelson, who nailed the decisive goal.

“We are all playing with excitement and love of the game right now and it is certainly helping us on the field,” Denger said. “The feeling of winning is addicting for our team and we want more and more of it!”

The Bison look to continue the momentum at their home game against UMBC tonight at 7 p.m.

“This season is such a contrast from last season. We’ve been finishing in the games, and as we continue to win, our confidence keeps growing,” Nelson said. “Also, by continuing to train hard and competitively during practice, we can only make each other better, and we will come out prepared for any team we have to face.”

Ajan Caneda
Writer

On Aug. 19, the women’s soccer team defeated Robert Morris at home 3-1 to pick up their first win of the season. The Orange and Blue were on the attack in the second half, outshooting the Colonials 17-9 in the period.

Thanks to an assist from Taryn Boucher ’13 and Corinne Collins ’13, forward Chelsea Garkowski ’14 nailed the first goal at the 25:57 mark to give the Bison the early lead. Robert Morris answered back with a goal of their own in the 33rd minute to even the score.

In the second half, the Bison capitalized on their shot attempts. Kayla Yee ’13 delivered a pass to Cassie Denger ’15, as she scored the tie-breaking goal in the 51st minute. The Colonials were unable to stop the barrage of shots from the Orange and Blue, as Danielle Piccirilli ’16 would score another goal off an assist by Denger to seal the win.

“This win at home will give us the momentum we need to keep pushing towards our team goals this season,” Denger said. “We really came together today to make this win happen.”

The first big test of the regular season came last Friday as the Orange and Blue traveled to Piscataway, N.J. to face 23rd ranked Rutgers. The Bison gave the Scarlet Knights everything they could handle, but Rutgers came away with a 2-1 win.

Intimidation did not faze the Orange and Blue, as they got off to a quick start behind a goal from Courtney Nelson ’15, the first of her career, with an assist by Evelyn Nicinski ’15.

“We gave them a battle that they definitely were not expecting,” Nelson said. “I think the first half we just really surprised them, and they weren’t ready for us.”

Rutgers locked the Bison down defensively, preventing them from attempting a shot in the second half. The Scarlet Knights scored back-to-back goals off of nine shot attempts in the 53rd and 60th minutes to secure the win.

“Despite the result, I am so proud of my team. The 2nd half they were more prepared for us I think. They changed some of the girls on their back line, and they made sure to be more organized and not let us get behind them,” Nelson said. “Rutgers is ranked 23rd nationally, and competing against them really showed us that we can play quality teams and make it a battle. We know that we can score, and we know how to stay together as a team. This season is definitely going to be exciting.”

The Bison’s next game will be against Buffalo at home today at 7 PM.