By Nick Kurti
Staff Writer
The College took an early-season loss to No. 17 NYU on Saturday, Sept. 6. But for the No 20. Lions, they persevered through the next day's match until the last second to win.
In the first game of the weekend, the Lions had their home opener against the Violets, a ranked matchup where both teams were looking to prove their national rankings. The Lions’ 4-2 loss to New York University broke a regular-season unbeaten streak that last ended against Rowan in 2023.
The match was contested throughout, with the Violets barely outshooting the Lions 8-6 in the first half, with each goalie getting two saves. The College took all five corners on Saturday, with most shots on goal coming from it. In a breakaway, NYU’s Sonia Neighbors came up the right end and handed it off to sophomore Alexa Buxbaum. The ball crossed to Sari Frankl, who drove it in low at the center to get the Violets on the board first.
Their goalkeeper, Mia Capo, pressed high throughout the entire match; she would get up close for every pass that went too far and close up any shots before they could even form. This held the Lions scoreless for a lot of the first half until sophomore Emily Weidner received a pass from senior Tiana Ramirez and beat the keeper to the shot, kicking just above Capo into an empty net. This put the Lions on the board and tied them up 1-1.
In the final fifteen minutes of the first half, both teams would score to go to halftime at 2-2. NYU scored in the 36th minute when Marlee Scanlon sent it past the keeper. With two minutes left, senior Caroline Mascone sent it high to sophomore Taylor Krott, who beat the Violets' defense and netted it with a slow touch on a ball through the legs of Capo.
The second half was much more difficult for the College, being outshot 13-5. Three minutes into the new half, Sydney Freese came up the left side of the pitch and crossed it straight to Buxbaum for the 3-2 lead. The Lions ultimately littered the Violets with shots on goal, but Capo refused to let any in the back of the net. The College was held to a one-goal deficit for most of the match until the absolute last minute, when Carmen Cicerini took a shot that Lions sophomore keeper Ellen Williams deflected. It hit the post, but before Williams could get back up, it came back to Cicerini, who scored the final goal.
When the Lions returned for day two of the TCNJ Classic, SUNY New Paltz was awaiting them. This match took the tight-paced pressure of the Violets and threw it out the window, leaving the game scoreless until the last ten seconds. The first half was controlled by the Hawks, who outshot the College 5-3. Williams had three great saves in the half to keep it scoreless.
Coming back from the half, the Lions completely flipped the energy. They outshot New Paltz 7-4, mounting the intensity on the Hawks by keeping possession on their half of the pitch. Ultimately, the Lions were unable to net anything from a defense that pushed the College out of the center and into the corners. The Lions outnumbered in corner kicks 6-2 because of this, which was exactly what sealed the victory.
In the 89th minute, junior Taylor Bielan took a corner. Senior Abby Najdzinowicz went for the header, but goalie Jess Centeri blocked it. Sophomore Maggie Murphy gained the ball, she lined up the shot, and when New Paltz defender Hannah Wellinger jumped to block it, she got a handball. The referee blew the whistle; it was a penalty. Najdzinowicz stepped up to the line. The only thing between her and this win is one shot.
“I had a bunch of pressure on me,” Najdzinowicz, a kinesiology major, told The Signal following the game. “I was like, I need to get to the back of the net. And I just stayed calm, stayed cool and collected.”
Whistle blew. Najdzinowicz kicked. The keeper went left, but the ball’s driven low into the right. Centeri’s mouth opened in shock as the ball rolled in. With eleven seconds left, the game was all but finished and the Lions bench roared into cheers.
“You know, I just stuck it in the back of the net.”
Following the weekend's performance, the College's Region IV ranking jumps to No. 4.
The College finishes the TCNJ Classic with an overall record of 2-1-1.
