ROCKVILLE CENTRE, N.Y. (Sept. 14, 2016) - Senior forward Danielle Valente (South Setauket, N.Y.) scored two first-half goals and junior midfielder Kristen Cummings (Huntington Station, N.Y.) added her second score of the season as the Molloy College women's soccer team notched a 3-1 victory over Holy Family University on Wednesday (Sept. 14) at RVC Sports Complex. The Lions' first win of the season came in a contest that was called in the 75th minute of action due to a strong rainstorm and persistent lightning in the area of the field.

Molloy (1-3-1) took advantage in the early going by attempting the first five shots of the game; Holy Family (1-2-1) stayed in the contest as senior goalie Sienna Smith (Pottsville, Pa.) made three saves to keep the game scoreless. In the ninth minute, however, the maroon and white took the lead as Valente broke free with the ball behind the Tigers' defensive line. The senior was able to beat Smith with a shot into the lower left corner of the cage for her second goal of the season and the opening marker of the contest. Seven minutes later, the Lions had another goal as Valente was the recipient of a fortuitous situation inside the Holy Family 18-yard zone. Sophomore midfielder Dominique Capolongo (Islip, N.Y.) had an initial attempt blocked by a Tigers defender, but the middie spun around and fed Valente with a pass to about ten yards from the goal. The South Setauket native took a dribble and rocketed a ball that rang true and found the near-side of the net for her second goal of the contest.

The Tigers got on the board in the 26th minute on a Molloy miscue. Off of a feed from Alyssa Christiansen (Warminster, Pa.), sophomore forward Brianna Rock (Bensalem, Pa.) was sprung loose and scampered around the reach of sophomore goalie Brianna Wilson (Levittown, N.Y.). Rock had a wide-open net and calmly chipped the ball over the goal line to cut the Lions' lead in half.  Molloy fought back and continued to buzz near the cage, but it would be Wilson who started the goal that ultimately closed the scoring account for the contest. After saving a shot attempt by Caleigh Gallagher (Philadelphia, Pa.), Wilson sent a booming kick down the field and deep into Holy Family territory. The defense for the Tigers attempted to clear the ball but it would be Cummings getting to the ball first and beating Smith with a shot attempt from just inside the 18-yard box. The goal in the 41st minute of action gave Molloy a 3-1 lead that the squad would not relinquish.

Both teams started the second half well and in good possession of the ball; but with a quarter-hour left in the contest, the skies began to open up. A bolt of lightning was spotted in the area and the game was halted, before a conference between the referees determined that the game was to be called---a game that is played beyond the 70-minute mark in college soccer is deemed to be an official game.

Molloy will host another CACC foe from the "City of Brotherly Love" when the Rams of Philadelphia University come to Rockville Centre on Tuesday (Sept. 20) for a 4 p.m. matinee at RVC Sports Complex.