The CCSU Blue Devils Women’s soccer team has acquired its first NEC win of the season, following a Julie Lavoie goal off of a Claire Walsh corner and Danica Foglio pass on 15 minutes.
“It was great for team morale to win our first NEC game. We’ve been very unlucky in some recent games but tonight we enjoyed some good luck,” said Coach D’Arcy following the match.
Though the game was won, the Blue Devils defense was put to the test. The Mountaineers outshot the Blue Devils 16-8. Nevertheless, the employment of the counter attack from the early minutes of the game by CCSU proved decisive as they scored off a corner kick following a counter-attack. They had a great game, forcing St. Mary’s to distance shots and only one shot on goal that was saved by Nikola Deiter.
From the onset, St. Mary’s searched for the win and accumulated four shots on goal in 10 minutes. Jackie Corley and Andrea Bujacich tormented CCSU’s Deiter and company with runs on the flank. Bujacich combined pace and vision to find passes from the middle. However, she was frustrated as the Blue Devils’ defense kept her passes limited to the 25th yard line.
CCSU resorted to counter-attacks although they are used to possession football. They employed a high line from the 10th minute on and saw a pay-off in the 15th minute. Claire Walsh stepped up for her second corner in the match and delivered a curler to Danica Foglio who expertly picked out Julie Lavoie; she placed the ball in the bottom left corner of the goal to give CCSU a 1-0 lead.
D’Arcy explained that, “Injuries to DeCaro, Been, Cavallari, Christo, O’Leary, Kelley and Robinson forced us into some changes,” however, the team has been resilient, “the players on the field were determined not to let their teammates down,” he concluded.
The lead would stick, but St. Mary’s tried its best to get back in the game but couldn’t as CCSU crowded the midfield. With a high defensive line and three midfielders to account for, CCSU forced St. Mary’s to long shots, many of which did not trouble Nikola Deiter.
The Australian keeper didn’t have the busiest of matches, but was forced into a splendid save in the second half. St. Mary’s wing back Brinley Watts ran the ball down the left flank and crossed it for Jackie Corley who controlled the shot with her right foot before firing. The astute Deiter, however, dove in on the ball moments before the shot and kept her side in the lead.
On the search for an equalizer, St. Mary’s gained a yellow card but accumulated 13 fouls. The match ended CCSU’s losing streak and St. Mary’s felt like they deserved more. This match gave the Blue Devils their first win of the NEC Season but remained at the bottom of the league with three points from six matches.
Coach D’Arcy reiterated the team’s desire to end the season with strong performances and that good performances have just started: “The overall mood is that the team want to finish the season as strong as possible. We will take the games one at a time and right now our focus is solely on performing well against Wagner on Friday.”
They will travel to Wagner on Oct 19, a team they’re tied with, before taking on LIU Brooklyn two days later.
