MANCHESTER, N.H. -- The Saint Anselm women's
soccer team travelled to Connecticut this afternoon to take on the
University of New Haven Chargers in Northeast-10 Conference
play. After 108 minutes of the play, the back-and-forth
battle came to an end, as the Hawks fell by a score of 3-2 in
double overtime. The win lifts the Chargers to 8-6-3 (5-6-2
NE-10), while the Hawks fall to 7-7-1 (6-6- NE-10).
The Chargers got on the board right away, as Lucy
Francisco (Lawrence, Mass.) netted a crossing pass from
Emily Buckley-Matura (Brooklyn, N.Y.) to give the
Chargers an early 1-0 lead just 1:26 into the game. The
Chargers continued to maintain control of the ball until the Hawks
got a corner kick in New Haven territory, and sophomore
Teresa Vercollone (Pembroke, Mass.) took advantage
of a rebound in the box and knocked in her team-leading fifth goal
of the season, to tie the score at 1-1.
However, nine minutes later, at 27:41, Alexa DellaRocco
(Hamden, Conn.) converted a pass from Lucy Francisco just
inside the box to regain the Chargers' one-goal lead heading into
halftime. In the middle of the second half, senior
Heidi Reece (Salem, N.Y.) broke the career
50-point mark, lacing in a goal assisted by classmate
Ashley Lafond (Goffstown, N.H.), to knot the score
at two and send the game into overtime.
The Chargers had some close chances in the first overtime
period, but the Hawks were able to hold off their advancements
until, at 108:05 in the second overtime period, Alexa DellaRocca
sent a crossing pass from the corner to Lucy Francisco, who scored
her sixth goal of the season and gave the Chargers a dramatic 3-2
double-overtime win.
The Chargers outshot the Hawks 21-5 in the game, but the Hawks
had a 40% shooting percentage and a .800 shots-on-goal
percentage. Hawk goalkeeper Jacqueline Cooney
(Braintree, Mass.) had seven saves in the game. The
Chargers' starting goalie Brianna Girard (Seymour,
Conn.) had none in her 18:51 minutes, and Kim
Taylor (Patchogue, N.Y.) had two saves in her 89:14
minutes in relief.
The Hawks return to action on Tuesday, October 20th as they
travel to Rindge, N.H. to take on the Franklin Pierce University
Ravens in their final road game of the season beginning at 4:00 pm.
