Garden City, N.Y. - Just six minutes into the NCAA East Regional First Round, freshman Isabella Muro found the back of the net to send the Lions to the Regional Semifinal for the first time since 2021. The sixth-seeded Lions topped third-seeded Jefferson to improve to 12-4-5 on the season and will take on the winner of #7 Bridgeport and #2 Adelphi on Sunday (Nov. 19) at 12:00 p.m. at Motamed Field.

How it Happened

• Graduate student Lauren Marinello fed Muro from near midfield to the top of the box. Muro made a move around her defender and beat the Jefferson keeper on the top right corner to give Molloy the 1-0 lead on the first shot of the afternoon.
• Possession stayed largely with the Lions, who saw excellent play in the midfield from Marinello, junior Natalia Piotrowksi, and freshmen Madison Keenan and Victoria Bustamante. 
• The Rams were limited to just one shot in the first half, which sailed left of the goal.
• Jefferson got back-to-back corner opportunities to start the second half of action, but failed to get a shot on net.
• A strong Molloy defensive unit in graduate student Jackie Murphy, senior Joanna Mauceri, sophomore Abigail Smith, and senior Sarah Tappeto helped to keep the Rams off the board, allowing just four total shots in the second half, none of which were on target.
• Muro led with two shots for the Lions with Bustamante, sophomore Olivia Ingenito and graduate student Caitlin Kennedy accounting for the remaining three. 
• Freshman keeper Elyse Munoz did not need to make a save in net.

Up Next
Molloy's second round match opponent will be either #7 Bridgeport or #2 Adelphi. The contest will take place on Sunday (Nov. 19) on the campus of Adelphi at 12:00 p.m.