COLCHESTER, Vt. - The regionally-ranked Saint Michael's College women's soccer team benefited from an own goal with 21.3 seconds left to down Daemen University, 2-1, on Wednesday at Duffy Field. The Purple Knights were seventh in this week's United Soccer Coaches East Region poll.
 
RECORDS

• Saint Michael's (8-1-3), Daemen (5-6)

SAINT MICHAEL'S LEADERS

• Senior Cassie Tofteroo (Bridgewater, Mass./Bridgewater-Raynham Regional), 1 goal
• Senior Emilia McGiffert (Duluth, Minn./Marshall School/Minnesota Duluth), 1 assist
• Senior Jesse Ferdinand (Maraval, Trinidad and Tobago/High Mowing School), 4 saves

OPPONENT LEADERS

• First-year Chlóe Cardone, 1 goal
• Junior Becca Schultz, 7 saves

GAME FACTS

• The Purple Knights' eight wins are their most since 2008.
• Saint Michael's is 4-0-2 in its last six games, and unbeaten in five games this year at home (4-0-1), going 8-1-2 on Duffy Field since last fall.
• Ferdinand registered her first college win.
• The Purple and Gold's last 12 goals have been scored by seniors or first-years, with the past five netted by seniors.
• Saint Michael's improved to 2-0-1 in the all-time series.
• The hosts held a 23-8 lead in shots and a 3-2 edge in corner kicks.
• The Purple Knights used 30 players during the contest.

THE ACTION

• Only 41 seconds into the game, first-year Sarah Gormley (Center Moriches, N.Y./Center Moriches) tipped a shot from out front just wide of the right post, and sophomore back Bridget McLoughlin (Latham, N.Y./Shaker) hit the crossbar from 35 yards in the seventh minute.
• A little more than a minute later, first-year Scarlett Brookes (Rockaway, N.J./Morris Knolls) bodied a teammate's pass toward the net, but junior Aleksa Lelis made a team save at the right post.
• Saint Michael's broke through in the 38th minute, as McGiffert won a failed clear out of the air before slipping a through ball for Tofteroo, who finished into the lower right.
• Ferdinand maintained the 1-0 lead in the 68th minute by denying sophomore Magda Carpenter's point-blank bid with a left-foot save near the right post.
• Cardone drew the Wildcats even with 4:16 remaining in regulation, heading home junior Kylie Miranto's end-line cross sent toward the left post.
• Saint Michael's came away with the game-winner with only 21.3 seconds left. Tofteroo sent in a corner kick that split first-years Paige Barnett (Norwood, Mass./Norwood) and Julia Palmese (Berlin, Conn./Berlin), instead hitting the back of a Daemen defender's head and redirecting in for the final tally.

NEXT SAINT MICHAEL'S GAME

• Saturday at American International College, 4 p.m.