COLCHESTER, Vt. - The Saint Michael's College women's soccer team outshot No. 2 The College of Saint Rose during a scoreless draw on Wednesday evening under the lights of Duffy Field during Northeast-10 Conference play. The Golden Knights, whose national ranking is according to the United Soccer Coaches, were the 2021 NCAA Division II runner-up. Saint Rose is first in the latest East Region Poll.
RECORDS
- Saint Michael's (1-1-2, 0-1-1 NE10), Saint Rose (5-0-1, 1-0-1 NE10)
SAINT MICHAEL'S LEADERS
OPPONENT LEADERS
- Sophomore Pia Bozic, 3 saves
GAME FACTS
- The Golden Knights were outshot for the first time this season, 11-7, while holding a 6-3 lead in corner kicks.
- This marked the 20th time in its past 23 outings since 2019 that Saint Michael's played a contest decided by one goal or less.
- Dating back to last season, the Purple Knights have allowed only one goal in the past 462:17.
- Saint Rose was shut out for the first time since last Oct. 30, 16 games ago.
- This was the Purple Knights' first shutout of Saint Rose in 24 all-time meetings.
- The Purple and Gold turned in its best showing against a ranked foe since drawing No. 11 Franklin Pierce University, also 0-0, on Oct. 24, 2018.
- Escobedo recorded her eighth career shutout, all since last fall, to tie Brittany Cocozza '12 for fifth in program history.
- The back line of seniors Grace Gallo (Franklin, Mass./Franklin), Grace Rava (Wilton, Conn./Wilton) and Paulina Valentine (New Hyde Park, N.Y./Kellenberg Memorial) and junior Sam Page (Merrimack, N.H./Merrimack) helped limit a team averaging 2.8 goals entering the contest to just five shots on net.
THE ACTION
- Each team took only three shots in the first half, but Saint Rose had the more dangerous opportunities. Graduate student Janina Mueller flicked a header on frame with her back to the net in the 11th minute before junior Anna Maria Dzyadyk sent a header from the top of the box off of a corner kick in the 42nd, but Escobedo stopped them both.
- First-year Faith Kosiba (Dunstable, Mass./Groton-Dunstable Regional) sent a left-footed shot from the left side of the box in the 67th minute that forced Bozic to make a diving stop.
- Soon thereafter, multiple Golden Knights got heads on a loose ball during a free kick sequence in the 69th minute, including as Escobedo denied graduate student Kaelyn Britt's point-blank bid.
- In the 79th minute, sophomore Christina Cummings (Queensbury, N.Y./Queensbury) slid and connected on a shot on frame from the left side of the box that Bozic turned away with a diving stop at the left post.
- The final clean look for either team came late in the 88th minute, when Valentine sent a back-to-the-goal header just wide left off of Rava's corner kick entry.
NEXT SAINT MICHAEL'S GAME
- Saturday at Adelphi University, 11 a.m.
- The Panthers are eighth in this week's United Soccer Coaches East Region Poll.
