The women’s soccer team began their MAAC Conference play and are off to a 2-0 start after defeating Marist 3-2 on Sept. 17 and Manhattan 3-0 on Sept. 24.
A pair of seniors led the Hawks in their first conference game of the season, a 2-1 road victory over Marist. Defender Julie Spracklin and forward Rachael Ivanicki both scored in the first 16 minutes of the game to give the blue and white an early 2-0 lead. Senior goal keeper Sydney Lavan recorded four saves en route to her first victory of the season in goal.
“That win was very, very important,” Head Coach Krissy Turner said. “It’s hard to get points at home, let alone on the road and I think that we played extremely well. We created a lot of good chances and I was pleased with getting the three points on the road.”
The Hawks are now 8-0 all-time against the Red Foxes and are unbeaten in their last 12 conference openers (10-0-2).
Monmouth continued conference play on Sept. 24 when they traveled to Riverdale, NY to take on the Manhattan Jaspers. Both teams played a scoreless first half, but the offense woke up in the second half for the blue and white, scoring three goals in the final 45 minutes.
Redshirt freshman forward Madie Gibson scored her first career goal from 20 yards out off of a pass from junior forward Rachelle Ross to open the scoring. That was followed eight minutes later with a goal by senior forward and MAAC Preseason Player of the Year Alexis McTamney.
Sophomore forward/midfielder Alli DeLuca scored the third and final goal at the 73 minute mark, which was assisted by freshman forward Anna Lazur. It was her third goal of the season, which leads the team.
“In the second half we performed to our ability as a team. We received numerous contributions from so many different players, which is a tribute to the depth of our team,” Turner said.
MU also played Loyola on Sept. 20 at Hesse Field in a makeup game and fell 3-2. The two teams went into halftime tied at one thanks to DeLuca, who scored an unassisted goal off the corner.
“The ball was kind of in the lights so I didn’t see it too well, but I just thought about getting my body on it and then getting a shot off and luckily it went in,” DeLuca said.
Loyola took the lead in the second half at the 59th minute, but the Hawks responded when senior forward Rachael Ivanicki found the net after a pass from Ross, tying the game at two.
But Loyola took advantage of a hand ball in the penalty area for Monmouth and Loyola’s Morgan Crable beat Lavan with a penalty kick in the 72nd minute that proved to be the game winner for the Greyhounds.
“I think that we didn’t compete as well as we could have and we were a step slow as far as anticipation,” Turner said. “I don’t think we took advantage of an opportunity to play at home in front of our fans.”
The Hawks (4-4-1, 2-0-0) return to the pitch tonight as they travel to Teaneck, NJ against old Northeast Conference rival Fairleigh Dickinson at 7 p.m. They return to Hesse Field on The Great Lawn on Saturday, Oct. 1 for their first of eight consecutive conference games to end the regular season, when they take on Saint Peter’s at 7 p.m.
PHOTO COURTESY of Monmouth University Athletics
