EASTON, Mass. – Junior Nicole Rust's (Hooksett, N.H.) takeaway and putaway in the ninth minute of overtime sent the Saint Anselm College women's soccer team to a thrilling 1-0 victory over Northeast-10 Conference foe Stonehill College Saturday afternoon at Skyhawk Field.
STANDOUT PERFORMERS
• Rust netted her second goal of the season and first since the game-opening tally in the Hawks' 2-0 win over Saint Michael's. Both of her goals this season were game-winners.
• Junior Cassie Quattropani (East Hartford, Conn.) posted her second complete-game shutout of the season and collected three saves. The extra-time win also improves her season record to 5-4-1 overall.
For the Opponents…
• Goalkeeper Jamie Block recorded a game-high four saves for the Skyhawks.
HOW IT HAPPENED
• After a relatively uneventful first half, Stonehill came within inches of scoring in the 43rd minute, as a Courtney Campo shot hit the post but bounced out of harm's way.
• Saint Anselm finally took its first shot at the 62:34 mark of the second half, as senior Rachel Gillies (Auburn, Mass.) put one on target for one of Block's saves.
• Neither team could muster much offense against a pair of stingy defenses, needing extra-time to settle the battle. Finally, a costly Stonehill turnover inside its own box found the foot of Rust, who knocked a low skimmer into the left corner to hand the Hawks a gritty victory.
INSIDE THE BOXSCORE
• Stonehill held the Hawks without an official shot in the first half before Saint Anselm offered up six in the second frame. The Skyhawks held a 13-8 advantage for the game.
• Neither team earned a corner kick until Saint Anselm's Taylor Levy (Norton, Mass.) bent a shot high in the 75th minute.
NOTES
• The Hawks even the all-time series against the Skyhawks to 16-16-5, also sweeping the season series with a pair of 1-0 victories.
• Saint Anselm improves to 5-1 over its last six games and posted its third shutout over that span.
• The Hawks are also just past the halfway point of the NE-10 slate, improving to 5-3 in the league with Saturday's win. Saint Anselm's 15 points currently tie for fifth in the league race.
UP NEXT
• Saint Anselm will conclude its four-game road swing with an in-state matchup against Franklin Pierce University Wednesday at 7 p.m. The Hawks will then host American International College Saturday, October 17 in another 7 p.m. matchup at Grappone Stadium.
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