Sparkill, N.Y. - The St. Thomas Aquinas College Field Hockey team erased an early second quarter deficit with three straight goals, as the maroon and gold took a 3-1 decision over Southern Connecticut State University on Tuesday afternoon at Spartan Field.
STAC improves to 2-11 overall and 2-6 in the NE10, while SCSU slips to 5-7 and 4-4.
Adriana Alfisi tallied her seventh goal of the season for the Spartans, while Katelyn Cerrato scored the first of her collegiate career and Sofia Corominas Cuen added her first of the season. Tori Geaglone scored the lone goal for the visiting Owls.
Carlijn De Groot (W, 1-7) earned her first collegiate victory for STAC with spectacular play in the cage, stopping eight of nine shots faced. On the other end of the field, Rachel Miller (L, 5-5) made seven saves on ten shots.
How it Happened
- 22nd Minute - A penalty corner insert by Trinidad Rodriguez Ricchiuti to Tori Geaglone, allowed her to send a soft feed to teammate Ruby Webb. Webb tried to return the favor and sent a pass back to Geaglone, but the ball ricocheted off of her stick and sailed high toward the cage beating Carlijn De Groot just below the crossbar to make it 1-0 Southern Connecticut State.
- 26th Minute - Another penalty corner insert, this time by Katelyn Cerrato, found the stick of Nicola Van Vuuren who evaded the Owls defense by sending a quick pass to Adriana Alfisi. Alfisi fired a rocket toward the goal, beating Rachel Miller at the left post to tie the match at 1-1.
- 41st Minute - Katelyn Cerrato would score the first goal of her collegiate career and eventual game-winner on tip-in at the right post via a beautiful cross-field pass by Adriana Alfisi to give STAC a 2-1 advantage.
- 47th Minute - The Spartans insurance goal would come early in the fourth quarter, as a penalty corner insert would reach Sofia Corominas Cuen who then dished off a pass to Erin Bacalles. While Corominas Cuen danced to the front of the net, Bacalles found her teammate all alone with a feed that Corominas Cuen would send toward the goal. A series of bounces and deflections would aid the ball past Rachel Miller to give the maroon and gold the two-goal lead at 3-1.
Inside the Box Score
- STAC outshot So. Connecticut St. 16-12 in the match, while the host Spartans also earned a 10-7 penalty corners advantage over the Owls.
- Nicola Van Vuuren recorded a game-high six shots, with three going on goal.
Up Next
St. Thomas Aquinas hosts Saint Michael's College on Sunday, October 15 at Noon. Senior Day festivities will precede the match between the Spartans and Purple Knights at Spartan Field.