Veraja
Mike McLaughlin
1
Stevens STE (5-5-3, 3-1-1)
2
Winner Misericordia MIS (12-1-0, 4-0-0)
Stevens STE
(5-5-3, 3-1-1)
1
Final
2
Misericordia MIS
(12-1-0, 4-0-0)
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Stevens STE 0 1 1
Misericordia MIS 1 1 2

Game Recap: Women's Soccer | | Stevens Athletic Communications

Women’s Soccer Drops Thriller at No. 10 Misericordia 2-1 on Goal in 89th Minute

Whitlock nets key goal for Ducks but uneaten streak ends at nationally-ranked Cougars

DALLAS, Pa. (October 16, 2021)  – Senior Taylor Whitlock scored in the 84th minute, but the Stevens Institute of Technology women's soccer team dropped a heartbreaking decision to No. 10 Misericordia University 2-1 Saturday in a MAC Freedom match at Mangelsdorf Field.

Trailing by a goal, the Ducks were applying heavy pressure in the attacking third. First-year Victoria Dalton entered the 18-yard box and sent a right-footed cross to the opposite corner. Whitlock entered the 18 in the left corner and one-timed a shot into the center of the net for her third goal of the season to set a new career high. The goal was just the eighth conceded by the nationally-ranked Cougars this season. 

With the teams destined for overtime, Misericordia's Emma Przyhocki threaded a ball over the top of the defense to Madison Brdaric, who sent the ball into the left corner of the net with just 70 seconds left in regulation. The Ducks would get a final chance in the waning seconds with a free kick on the edge of the attacking third, but were unable to produce a scoring chance.

Senior Izzy DiDario made six saves for the Ducks, who fell to 5-5-3 on the year and to 3-1-1 in conference play. The setback snapped Stevens' six-match unbeaten streak. Stevens held Misericordia to just two goals, well under the four goals per match the Cougars were averaging entering the match. Conversely, the Ducks' 11 shots were the second-most against Misericordia this season. Alexis Benedetto made a pair of saves to earn the victory for Misericordia.

With Misericordia's victory, one of the longest conference unbeaten streaks in Division III came to a close. Dating back to the 2017 season and the program's time in the Empire 8 Conference, the Ducks were unbeaten over their last 23 regular season league matches. When the postseason is also taken into consideration, that number swelled to 29. The Ducks dropped a league match in the regular season for just the second time since 2014. 

Colleen Kinsella broke through just before halftime for Misericordia, who won their fourth straight match to improve to 12-1 on the year and to 4-0 in MAC Freedom play. The Cougars lead the conference with 12 points, while Stevens and FDU-Florham sit in second with 10.

Inside the Numbers
  • Misericordia outshot Stevens 22-11, including an 8-3 advantage in shots on target. Although the Cougars held a 13-3 edge in the first half, the second half was more level, with the hosts holding a slim 9-8 edge.
  • Michaela Fasolino led all student-athletes with eight shots, while Whitlock and sophomore Jana Mucci paced Stevens with two each.
  • The Cougars held an 8-1 advantage on corners, although the margin was just 2-1 in the second half.

Unsung Heroes
  • The Ducks kept Emma Sweitzer, Misericordia's leading scorer, in check, holding her to just one shot on goal.

From the Sidelines - Head Coach Jeff Parker
  • "Although our group so nearly got a result on the road today against an opponent that is undefeated in conference play and is ranked in the top-10 with one of the nation's best scoring offenses, I honestly don't think we found a lot of joy in our match this afternoon. Our self-evaluation of our performance was not at our previously attained standards. Yes, it is very difficult when matches are impacted by decisions that somehow don't go your way and that directly led to goals for your opponent. We can't control that, so we have to deal with it. I thought our group did find a way back into the match and that took some doing collectively. Unfortunately, a couple of mistakes compounded to give our opponent a chance, where they won the game. It happened and hats off to Misericordia today. We'll be ready to get back together and get refocused for 14-0 West Conn on Wednesday. I hope our group realizes how much our staff believes in them, because we've seen their character. We need to trust in ourselves, each other, our ability and our locker room. This is a group that can do great things - now is the time to transform that potential into our next performance. I'm looking forward to it because I know what to expect."

Up Next
  • Stevens welcomes No. 24 Western Connecticut State University to the DeBaun Athletic Complex on Oct. 20 to wrap up the non-conference schedule. 
  • The Ducks are 7-4-3 all-time against the Colonials, including each of the last three meetings.
  • The contest marks the Ducks' fifth against a ranked opponent this season.
  • Links for live stats and video are available on StevensDucks.com.

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