Kristen Goncalves Interview | Head Coach Jeff Parker InterviewHOBOKEN, N.J. (October 4, 2014) – The Stevens Institute of Technology women's soccer team shutout No. 20 Ithaca College in an Empire 8 Conference tilt at the DeBaun Athletic Complex on Saturday to improve its record to 7-4 overall and 2-1 in the Empire 8.
Saturday's victory for Stevens is the first-ever over Ithaca at home since joining the conference in 2007. Coming into today's match, Ithaca had surrendered just three goals in nine matches.
The Ducks established a few opportunities to put a goal on the board within the first 25 minutes of the match, with their best attempt coming off a long centering pass from sophomore
Gabby Mathelier (Pomona, N.Y.) at the 24:13 mark. Mathelier's service was nearly headed into goal by sophomore
Raba Nassif (Northvale, N.J.), but play was blown dead on an offsides call.
Stevens continued to create multiple chances to score after the offsides and finally came through with the first goal of the contest off the left foot of Nassif in the 28th minute.
After Stevens took the lead its defense stepped up and kept Ithaca away from any chances to send in an equalizer. The Bombers never took a shot after the ninth minute and only attempted two in the first half.
In the second half, Stevens proved to be the more dominant team on Saturday. The Ducks ripped off 11 more shots to six for the Bombers.
Nassif put three shots on goal in the first seven minutes of the second half but was unable to pad Stevens' lead. Those three shots on target were followed up by a near deposit into the top left corner from senior
Mariah Cleveland (Los Gatos, Calif.) with just over 25 minutes left in regulation, but her strike curved wide of frame.
The Bombers did, however, have another chance to knot the contest at 1-1 on a corner with 20 minutes left. After the service, the loose ball trickled towards goal but junior
Carly Bean (Williamson, N.Y.) was waiting on the goal line to clear it away.
Nine minutes later, Ithaca's Lauren Steele brought the ball down the left side of the field and ripped a shot towards the bottom corner, but freshman
Lindsey Mahnken (Bayville, N.J.) made a sprawling save to her right to preserve the shutout.
Mahnken made four saves in the game for her fourth shutout of the season and seventh win. She was also aided throughout the 90-minute contest by terrific defensive play from senior
Bella Romano (Harrington Park, N.J.), junior
Kristen Goncalves (Dix Hills, N.Y.), and three freshmen
Sandi Komar (San Diego, Calif.),
Megan Lynes (Clovis, Calif.) and
Sammy Mount (The Woodlands, Texas).
Those five held Ithaca to eight shots in the match, 11 below its season average.
The Ducks are on the road for their next two games on October 11 and 12. They face Houghton College on the 11th at 12 p.m. and Alfred University at 1 p.m. on the 12th.
