Box Score ROCKVILLE CENTRE, N.Y. (Sept. 6, 2015) - The Molloy College women's soccer team battled to a 1-1 draw with non-conference foe Merrimack at the Dean G. Skelos Sports Complex on Sunday, concluding the Lions' Labor Day Weekend Tournament with a record of 0-0-2.
Though the maroon and white were credited for the first two shots of the contest, it was Merrimack (1-0-1) that struck for the game's first goal. In the 12th minute, sophomore forward Victoria Carter (Smithfield, R.I.) took a pass from senior attacker Jenna Savi (Dedham, Mass.) and slipped past the Molloy defense. Entering the 18-yard box, Carter slotted a shot to the left of junior goalkeeper
Gabrielle Batista (Hicksville, N.Y.), who was unable to make an effort to keep the ball from traveling into the back of the net. For Carter, it was her third goal on the young season, as she netted a brace in her team's 3-2 win over Dowling to open the invitational on Friday.
The Lions would strike back fifteen minutes later to level the contest at one-all and send the home crowd into a raucous frenzy. Sophomore defender
Felicia LaPera (West Babylon, N.Y.), who had entered the game as a substitute just thirty seconds earlier, found herself on the receiving end of a cross from senior midfielder
Christina Restivo (New Hyde Park, N.Y.). LaPera flicked the ball on with her head, past the outstretched arms of Merrimack senior keeper Meghan Gulbrandsen (Haverhill, Mass.) and the ball bounced delicately over the goal line and into the side netting. LaPera, who did not play in the team's nil-nil draw versus Bentley on Friday night, was unofficially credited for the fastest goal by a debuting player in a Molloy uniform, and the score would be tied.
Merrimack closed the first half with four shots while holding Molloy without an attempt, but the Warriors found themselves dealing with a magical afternoon of goalkeeping from Batista. The visiting side collected three attempts on goal in the final six minutes, but each try was calmly corralled by the junior netminder. In the second half, the Warriors again held the shooting advantage (6-2), but neither side could solve the opposing keeper. Molloy's best chance came in the 83rd minute, when senior forward
Danielle Valente (South Setauket, N.Y.) won a chance at the top of the 18-yard box after a corner kick, but her right-footed shot bent right into the waiting arms of Merrimack's backup goalie, sophomore Molly Meehan (Fairfield, Conn.). For the second consecutive contest, the maroon and white would be treating their fans to extra soccer at John A. Darcy Field. But for the second consecutive contest, the fans would go home after watching their team play to a tie.
The visitors almost snatched the victory in the 93rd minute, as Merrimack won a free kick in the Molloy defensive end. A well-struck cross was played onto the head of freshman midfielder Gigi Guenther (Webster, Mass.), and her flick on net was parried by Batista into a dangerous area. Guenther attempted a follow-up rebound, but her chance was denied as the Lions' goalkeeper punched the ball to her left and away from danger for the moment. The ball rolled onto the foot of Warriors midfielder Emily Maier (Mesa, Ariz.), whose shot was deflected over the end line by Batista. After the flurry of shots, Molloy would get an opportunity at the other end, but Valente could not capitalize and found herself stonewalled by Meehan for the second time in 11 minutes. The heartstopping first extra session continued as Merrimack would win a corner kick in the 96th minute. The ball found its way to the head of Guenther again, and this time her attempt on net beat Batista, but the crossbar saved the maroon and white from defeat.
In the second overtime period, the showdown between Guenther and Batista would reach its conclusion, as the freshman midfielder from Merrimack found her way to another header that was saved in the 109th minute. Batista quickly played the ball out as time wound down, and Valente would get a shot on net in the final minute that was parried out of bounds by Meehan. With ten seconds remaining on the clock, Molloy won a corner kick and all 11 Lions crowded the attacking zone. Unfortunately the in-swinger from junior midfielder
Jessica Malone (Long Beach, N.Y.) did not result in a clean shot on net, and the ball was cleared by the Warriors' defense as the final horn sounded.
The final stats told the story of the 110-minute affair as Merrimack outshot Molloy by a 21-10 margin. For the Warriors, Savi and Guenther each took four shots on goal, but neither one put their names on the scoresheet. Molloy was led by Valente's four shots, three of which were on target. But the day belonged to Batista, who was playing only her second game in net for the Lions in her career. Her stat of 13 saves was one off the single-game record for most saves in a contest (14- Melissa McCarthy, 2005). In the opposing net, Meehan and Gulbrandsen combined to make five saves. Merrimack won seven corner kicks to Molloy's six, but an undisciplined Warriors side found themselves offsides five times in the contest, while the Lions were only caught by the referees once.
Head Coach
Danny Longo and the Molloy women's soccer team visit Caldwell on Wednesday (Sept. 9) for a non-conference tilt, beginning at 4 p.m.
