Box Score ROCKVILLE CENTRE, N.Y. (Oct. 24, 2015) - The Molloy College women's soccer team played stingy defense on Saturday, but the Lions were stymied on offense by an even tougher Bridgeport defense as the No. 5 Purple Knights won a 2-0 contest at Darcy Field. UB is now 15-1 on the year and a perfect 7-0 in East Coast Conference play while Molloy falls to 6-6-2 and 3-4 in ECC matches this season.
Against a team that had outscored its opponents 36-6 in 15 prior matches, the maroon and white were determined to hold Bridgeport off the scoreboard and did so for 16 minutes of action. But in the 17th minute, the Purple Knights opened the scoring account off of perfect passing and clinical finishing. In the attacking zone, junior forward Hanne Neby (Furnes, Norway) found senior midfielder Flo Gamby (Goffs Oak, England) with a great pass before Gamby slotted an excellent ball to a wide open Lauren Mengel (Gilbertsville, Penn.). The tic-tac-toe passing allowed Mengel to lift a shot over the head of junior goalkeeper
Gabrielle Batista (Hicksville, N.Y.) to put the visitors ahead in the contest. That was the only truly good chance of the first half, as both sides played a mature, high line on defense in snuffing out many attacks. In fact, the two teams combined for just six total shots in the first half with each side taking three attempts.
Play opened up a little more in the second half, as Molloy had its best chance of the game come off the foot of freshman substitute
Allie Rainey (Smithtown, N.Y.). The freshman took a ball off of a Bridgeport defender in the 61st minute and had a mini-breakaway in on goalie Jennifer Wendelius (Lidingo, Sweden). Rainey could not get a clean shot off, though, as a hard-charging Julia Weidenmark (Varnamo, Sweden) sent her flying with a clattering challenge in the box following a low shot that trickled easily into the hands of Wendelius. In the 76th minute, it would be senior
Shannon Murphy (North Babylon, N.Y.)---one of five players honored pregame in a Senior Day ceremony---taking her chances with a shot on net from distance that Wendelius comfortably corraled. Molloy was unable to prevent a UB counterattack, however as Gamby sent a through ball to a cutting Neby in the 18-yard box for a perfect strike into the near-side netting to give the visitors a two-goal edge.
Bridgeport outshot Molloy 11-7 in the contest, but the Purple Knights did control much of the possession in the midfield area. Murphy led the Lions with two shots on target, while junior
Jessica Malone (Long Beach, N.Y.) had two shots as well. Arguably, the game could have been more in favor of Bridgeport if not for the stellar play on the back line by red-shirt senior
Annette Mims (Patchogue, N.Y.), juniors
Courtney Noakes (Levittown, N.Y.) and
Gianna Jennosa (Islip Terrace, N.Y.), and sophomores
Mariella Gotti (Valley Stream, N.Y.) and
Kristen Cummings (Huntington Station, N.Y.). Wendelius made five saves for the visitors in earning her conference-leading 12th win and seventh shutout of the season. Batista made four saves for the Lions in the losing effort.
Molloy now heads into the final week of the regular season facing two difficult contests, beginning with an afternoon matinee in Brookville on Wednesday (Oct. 28) against LIU Post.
