PURCHASE, N.Y. – The Manhattanville College women's soccer team, playing in its first conference tournament game since 2010, entered the day with win-or-go-home stakes. The pressure did not phase the Valiants as the home squad – seeded fourth in the Skyline Conference tournament – defeated fifth-seeded St. Joseph's College-Long Island 2-1 this afternoon, Saturday, Nov. 2, at GoValiants.com Field and now advance to the semifinal round next Wednesday, Nov. 6.
The Valiants (10-9) controlled the pace of play for the majority of the first half and outshot the Golden Eagles (7-9-2) 9-2 in shots on goal through the first 45. Thanks to their consistent pressure on St. Joe's in the first half, the Crimson and White were the first to break through and score. Following a foul, sophomore defender
Dani Fanning (Mission, Texas/Sharyland Pioneer) took a free kick from the Valiants' side of midfield and sent it all the way down to the Golden Eagles' box, where freshman midfielder
Natalie Aracena (Bronx, N.Y./Riverdale Kingsbride Academy) took the breakaway opportunity and lifted the ball over the keeper for the first of the game and her 13th of the season to make it 1-0 early.
The score at the break could have easily been 3-1 Manhattanville, but both keepers made solid saves, coupled with a defensive save for the Golden Eagles. Sophomore midfielder
Izzy Rosa (Shelton, Conn./Shelton) took a lead pass in the 32nd and got a foot on it, but the St. Joe's keeper made a diving stop. Just minutes later, off a sophomore forward
Ashley Hayes' (Springfield, Ore./Thurston) corner kick, sophomore midfielder
Brigid Sullivan (Vienna, Va./Paul VI Catholic) put a header attempt on net, but a St. Joe's defender was able to stop the shot for the defensive save in the 36th. Then, in the 40th, St. Joe's had a breakaway but sophomore goalkeeper
Alexa Pyatsky (Garden City, N.Y./Garden City) came out and played the ball hard to stop the shot and preserve the 1-0 lead.
Manhattanville took that lead into the half, but the Golden Eagles came out of the break strong and dominated time of possession in the second half. After several close calls for St. Joe's, the road team finally broke through to tie it in the 66th following a free kick to spring Christina Gagliardi for the score. Then, with extra time feeling imminent, Hayes set up for another corner kick in the 84th. She attempted a quick short corner to sophomore defender
Natalie Pelaez (Ossining, N.Y./Ossining), who sent a shot on net that was saved, but the rebound was sent back by Rosa who found an open Sullivan for the goal, which ended up being the game-winner.
The Valiants now prepare for a rematch with top-seeded Mount Saint Mary College on the road this Wednesday afternoon in Newburgh, N.Y. Manhattanville and the Knights are scheduled to kickoff at 4:00 p.m. Mt. St. Mary defeated the Valiants 3-0 in their previous matchup, also in Newburgh, back on Oct. 19.
