NEW BRITAIN, Conn.— A late second half push was not enough to break the deadlock as the Sacred Heart University women's soccer team tied Central Connecticut State on the road, 1-1, on Thursday evening.
The match started off with a flare as both teams looked to assert dominance in the attacking third, quickly racking up shots and fouls in the process. However, the Pioneers were able to open the scoring after a defensive miscue from CCSU. SHU's
Morgan Bovardi capitalized on a misplaced pass just outside the Blue Devils' penalty area and fired a low, right-footed shot past the leg of CCSU's Melina Ford and into the bottom corner as the Pioneers amassed the early advantage.
The physicality continued throughout the first half as CCSU's Katarzyna Zawadzki earned the first yellow card of the match in the 25
th minute for a foul along the endline as both teams racked up a combined 16 fouls in the first 45 minutes. The Blue Devils searched for the equalizer just before the break, earning themselves a free kick just outside the Pioneer penalty area, but could not convert as CCSU's Sabrina Krause blazed a shot over the bar as the Pioneers went into the break leading 1-0.
The hosts clawed their way back into the match early in the second half with two-straight set piece opportunities from corner kicks. After misplacing the first one, CCSU capitalized on the second corner with Giavanna Inzerillo whacking at a loose ball inside the six-yard box that slowly rolled over the line to level the match, 1-1.
The teams continued to battle throughout the match, with the Pioneers having the best chance to break the deadlock late with a counterattack in the 85
th minute. Having received a long through ball from
Lindsay McShea, forward
Desiree Crawford eluded her defender and fired a looping shot that beat CCSU's Ford but nailed the crossbar as the chance went begging. Both teams pushed for the go-ahead goal but did not find the elusive final pass as the match ended in a 1-1 draw.
Top Performers:
Of Note:
- Sophomore Victoria Constatine and junior Miriam Shomstein made their first collegiate starts while senior Sofia Germano made her first start of the season after serving as a substitute in the last two matches.
- Bovardi's goal was her sixth goal of the season as she ties junior Grace O'Hara for the team lead in goals and points (14). Bovardi has now earned points in five of the last seven matches after being held off the scoresheet for the first six matches of the season.
- Goalkeeper Elyssa Kipperman has now accrued seven or more saves in three-straight matches.
- Madison Wisheart, Theanna Burnett, and Kelly Medeiros played the full 90 minutes for SHU with Burnett having achieved the feat in four-straight matches.
- Kelly Medeiros becomes the first Pioneer to hit the 1,000 minutes played mark this season, hitting the mark with a 90 minute display Thursday evening. First-year Lindsay McShea is poised to be the second player to hit that mark as she sits on 980 minutes played this season.
- With the draw, the Pioneers become the first team to take points away from the Blue Devils in conference play this season.
Up Next:
The Pioneers return to action this weekend on Sunday, October 8, hosting the Howard Bison on Senior Day at Park Ave Field. Kickoff is slated for noon with Senior Day festivities occurring after the match. Livestream and Live statistics will be available on sacredheartpioneers.com.
