Men's Basketball:
Feldeine, Rutty bring the thunder
Media Credit: Andrew Vazzano
By Robin Schuppert - Issue Date 12/9/09
Quinnipiac head coach Tom Moore knows there won't be any at-large bids for the NCAA tournament from the Northeast Conference. That makes victories like their 73-52 in-conference win against Fairleigh Dickinson that much more important.
"We targeted this as a must-win game for about two weeks," Moore said.
Quinnipiac junior forward Justin Rutty led all players with 23 points and eight rebounds, and senior forward James Feldeine chipped in 22 points in the victory.
"Coach Moore stressed how important these NEC games are," Rutty said. "The leaders on the team know how important these games are, and we know we have to go out and play hard."
It was the Bobcats' third straight win in conference openers since Moore's arrival.
"At this level of college basketball, the league and the league tournament are the be-all and end-all," Moore said. "There are no at-large bids coming out of this conference, so that's what we live for. It's great to get the first one."
The Bobcats jumped out to an early 18-4 lead and were never threatened after that. Feldeine had 15 points in the first half on 6-of-10 shooting, and added three assists.
Rutty, a preseason All-Conference player added eight first-half points, shooting 3-for-4 from the field and added five rebounds while the Bobcats took a commanding 36-26 lead into halftime.
"In the first six games I've either been on or Justin's been on, and today was really the first game where we've both been on our game," Feldeine said. "If both of us can play the way we played today throughout the season, and if we can have a third option on the team step up, it's going to be a good season."
The Bobcats came out to play the second half with the same intensity, and at one point controlled a 28-point lead. They shot 45 percent from the field, including 30 percent from 3-point distance where they connected for a season-high seven 3-pointers.
"I was happy with how the second half played out, score wise," Moore said. "I thought we played with a little bit more focus in the second half. That's a real dangerous team we played today because they have a lot of guys that can score. To hold them to 32 percent field goal percentage is a pretty significant achievement. I don't think a lot of teams will hold them to 32 percent this year."
Sean Baptiste led the Knights with 15 points in the first half, but only scored six in the second to finish the game with 21.
"Jeremy Baker was really strong against him," Moore said. "Jeremy's had some sub-par defensive games recently, but he was on his hip all game, which gave him a chance to catch up to him. Jeremy should get most of the credit for the good defensive play in the second half."
Quinnipiac freshman guard Dave Johnson added 10 points and a team high six assists, along with three steals coming off the bench. He was 4-for-5 from the field, including 2-for-2 from the 3-point line in 26 minutes of action.
"Dave was fantastic offensively early in the game," Moore said. "He's a very intelligent offensive player, and he might have the highest offensive IQ out of anyone on the team."
Starting guard James Johnson, on the other hand, didn't have his best game of the year, collecting four points and four assists in 18 minutes.
The Bobcats won't play another NEC game until Jan. 2, when they will travel to West Long Branch, N.J., to face Monmouth.
Quinnipiac head coach Tom Moore knows there won't be any at-large bids for the NCAA tournament from the Northeast Conference. That makes victories like their 73-52 in-conference win against Fairleigh Dickinson that much more important.
"We targeted this as a must-win game for about two weeks," Moore said.
Quinnipiac junior forward Justin Rutty led all players with 23 points and eight rebounds, and senior forward James Feldeine chipped in 22 points in the victory.
"Coach Moore stressed how important these NEC games are," Rutty said. "The leaders on the team know how important these games are, and we know we have to go out and play hard."
It was the Bobcats' third straight win in conference openers since Moore's arrival.
"At this level of college basketball, the league and the league tournament are the be-all and end-all," Moore said. "There are no at-large bids coming out of this conference, so that's what we live for. It's great to get the first one."
The Bobcats jumped out to an early 18-4 lead and were never threatened after that. Feldeine had 15 points in the first half on 6-of-10 shooting, and added three assists.
Rutty, a preseason All-Conference player added eight first-half points, shooting 3-for-4 from the field and added five rebounds while the Bobcats took a commanding 36-26 lead into halftime.
"In the first six games I've either been on or Justin's been on, and today was really the first game where we've both been on our game," Feldeine said. "If both of us can play the way we played today throughout the season, and if we can have a third option on the team step up, it's going to be a good season."
The Bobcats came out to play the second half with the same intensity, and at one point controlled a 28-point lead. They shot 45 percent from the field, including 30 percent from 3-point distance where they connected for a season-high seven 3-pointers.
"I was happy with how the second half played out, score wise," Moore said. "I thought we played with a little bit more focus in the second half. That's a real dangerous team we played today because they have a lot of guys that can score. To hold them to 32 percent field goal percentage is a pretty significant achievement. I don't think a lot of teams will hold them to 32 percent this year."
Sean Baptiste led the Knights with 15 points in the first half, but only scored six in the second to finish the game with 21.
"Jeremy Baker was really strong against him," Moore said. "Jeremy's had some sub-par defensive games recently, but he was on his hip all game, which gave him a chance to catch up to him. Jeremy should get most of the credit for the good defensive play in the second half."
Quinnipiac freshman guard Dave Johnson added 10 points and a team high six assists, along with three steals coming off the bench. He was 4-for-5 from the field, including 2-for-2 from the 3-point line in 26 minutes of action.
"Dave was fantastic offensively early in the game," Moore said. "He's a very intelligent offensive player, and he might have the highest offensive IQ out of anyone on the team."
Starting guard James Johnson, on the other hand, didn't have his best game of the year, collecting four points and four assists in 18 minutes.
The Bobcats won't play another NEC game until Jan. 2, when they will travel to West Long Branch, N.J., to face Monmouth.
Title.
Men's Ice Hockey: Rivalry Rekindled
Bobcats come up stale against Yale
Media Credit: Caiti Kaminski
By Robin Schuppert - Issue Date: 12/9/09
It was a rude awakening for the No. 4 Quinnipiac Bobcats as they lost their first ECAC Hockey game of the season to cross-town rival No. 10 Yale. In front of a sell-out crowd of 3,500 at Ingalls Rink in New Haven, the Bulldogs defeated the Bobcats 7-4 on Friday night.
Quinnipiac held a 4-3 lead with 11:26 remaining in the third period, but Yale responded with four straight goals to run away with an otherwise close game.
"We were out-battled all night," Quinnipiac head coach Rand Pecknold said. "We were bad in the first, bad in the second and we were bad in the third. It was almost staggering the amount of mistakes we made. We were a really bad hockey team tonight, and Yale was good."
Quinnipiac assistant captain and senior forward Brandon Wong led the Bobcats with two goals, one of which gave the Bobcats a 4-3 with 13:36 left in the third period. Wong was disappointed with the loss.
"We definitely think it's a rivalry," Wong said. "We're only 10 minutes down the road from them, and I'm sure they feel the same. You always want to get up for these games, and we didn't come ready today, and that's what the game had for us."
The first period saw four power play goals - two from each squad - leaving the game tied going into the first intermission. Sean Backman, Yale's active leading scorer, put the Bulldogs on top just 3:08 into the first period. After goals from Quinnipiac freshmen Loren Barron and Wong, senior Eric Lampe's roughing penalty allowed Brian O'Neill to even the score at 2.
"We've been good all year," Pecknold said. "Whenever we've had a bad period, we've rebounded the next period. We didn't do it all night. The guys knew they were bad in the first and came out even worse in the second. I kept waiting for them to respond and it never happened."
Yale took the lead 32 seconds into the second period on Jeff Anderson's breakaway goal - the game's first at even strength. Fifteen minutes later, senior Greg Holt tied it up again with Quinnipiac's first even strength goal.
Wong notched his second goal of the game 6:24 into the third, but it was Quinnipiac's last lead. Just two minutes later, Yale captain Ryan Donald blasted a shot from the blue line past goaltender Dan Clarke to tie the game. Denny Kearney and Backman scored two goals just 53 seconds apart, and Kearney added an empty-net goal with 33 seconds left to seal the game.
"We were making costly mistakes," Wong said. "We've brought it all year. It shows by our play and us winning games. We haven't played great all season but we just do the little things and that helps us in the long run and that's helped us win games. All 20 of us weren't really ready to play today at all. We didn't do the little things well that we've been doing well all season."
Quinnipiac was outshot 41-22 for the game and took 11 penalties compared to nine for Yale. The Bobcats went 3-for-5 on the power play, while Yale was 2-for-7 on the man advantage.
Clarke, who was named HCA National College Hockey Player of the Month for November, made 34 saves in the loss.
"It's a long year, and it was just one of those games," Pecknold said. "For whatever reason we were flat and weren't ready to play."
It was a rude awakening for the No. 4 Quinnipiac Bobcats as they lost their first ECAC Hockey game of the season to cross-town rival No. 10 Yale. In front of a sell-out crowd of 3,500 at Ingalls Rink in New Haven, the Bulldogs defeated the Bobcats 7-4 on Friday night.
Quinnipiac held a 4-3 lead with 11:26 remaining in the third period, but Yale responded with four straight goals to run away with an otherwise close game.
"We were out-battled all night," Quinnipiac head coach Rand Pecknold said. "We were bad in the first, bad in the second and we were bad in the third. It was almost staggering the amount of mistakes we made. We were a really bad hockey team tonight, and Yale was good."
Quinnipiac assistant captain and senior forward Brandon Wong led the Bobcats with two goals, one of which gave the Bobcats a 4-3 with 13:36 left in the third period. Wong was disappointed with the loss.
"We definitely think it's a rivalry," Wong said. "We're only 10 minutes down the road from them, and I'm sure they feel the same. You always want to get up for these games, and we didn't come ready today, and that's what the game had for us."
The first period saw four power play goals - two from each squad - leaving the game tied going into the first intermission. Sean Backman, Yale's active leading scorer, put the Bulldogs on top just 3:08 into the first period. After goals from Quinnipiac freshmen Loren Barron and Wong, senior Eric Lampe's roughing penalty allowed Brian O'Neill to even the score at 2.
"We've been good all year," Pecknold said. "Whenever we've had a bad period, we've rebounded the next period. We didn't do it all night. The guys knew they were bad in the first and came out even worse in the second. I kept waiting for them to respond and it never happened."
Yale took the lead 32 seconds into the second period on Jeff Anderson's breakaway goal - the game's first at even strength. Fifteen minutes later, senior Greg Holt tied it up again with Quinnipiac's first even strength goal.
Wong notched his second goal of the game 6:24 into the third, but it was Quinnipiac's last lead. Just two minutes later, Yale captain Ryan Donald blasted a shot from the blue line past goaltender Dan Clarke to tie the game. Denny Kearney and Backman scored two goals just 53 seconds apart, and Kearney added an empty-net goal with 33 seconds left to seal the game.
"We were making costly mistakes," Wong said. "We've brought it all year. It shows by our play and us winning games. We haven't played great all season but we just do the little things and that helps us in the long run and that's helped us win games. All 20 of us weren't really ready to play today at all. We didn't do the little things well that we've been doing well all season."
Quinnipiac was outshot 41-22 for the game and took 11 penalties compared to nine for Yale. The Bobcats went 3-for-5 on the power play, while Yale was 2-for-7 on the man advantage.
Clarke, who was named HCA National College Hockey Player of the Month for November, made 34 saves in the loss.
"It's a long year, and it was just one of those games," Pecknold said. "For whatever reason we were flat and weren't ready to play."
Title.
Bobcats fall 1 win shy of goal
Media Credit: QU Athletics
By Robin Schuppert
The Bobcats made it to the conference championship game for the first time in program history, and in the end, came up just short of their ultimate goal.
The Quinnipiac men's soccer team lost 2-1 on Sunday afternoon in the NEC Tournament championship game to the No. 1 Monmouth Hawks at the Great Lawn in West Long Branch, N.J.
Junior Chase Barbier and NEC Player of the Year Ryan Kinne scored for Monmouth, while senior co-captain Shane Recklet scored the Bobcats' lone goal.
"We had a chance to win this game throughout the entire 90 minutes," Quinnipiac head coach Eric Da Costa said. "We lost to a good team and they are a great representative of the conference. They are a top-10 team in the country, and we were right there, battling with them for 90 minutes."
After a scoreless first half, Monmouth came out of halftime pushing for the opening goal. Freshman Ryan Clarke crossed a ball into the 18-yard box from the left side to Barbier in the 51st minute. Barbier out-jumped a couple of Bobcat defenders, and headed the ball into the top right corner of the goal, beating an outstretched Freddy Hall.
Just four minutes later, Kinne helped Monmouth double their lead. Sophomore midfielder RJ Allen curved a free kick from the right side into the box to Kinne, who headed the ball into the bottom right corner of the net. Kinne was later named to the All-Tournament team, Allen was credited with the assist, and was later named the tournament's Most Valuable Player.
But the Bobcats bounced back.
Sophomore defender Conor Murphy collected a rebound on the left side and crossed it into the box in the 61st minute, headed for Recklet. A wet field caused a couple of defenders to slip, and the ball dropped in front of Recklet's feet. The senior captain kept his patience and pushed the ball passed Monmouth goalkeeper Bryan Meredith.
Juniors Nick Pelicaen, Johan Karlhagen and Pierre Soubrier all had chances in the final 30 minutes to tie the game.
Perhaps the best chance came in the final 10 minutes, as Soubrier lined up a free kick from just outside the box. He circled it around Monmouth's wall of defenders but the ball sailed just over the crossbar.
"Our team was right on their heels at all times and we were never intimidated," Da Costa said. "That's how finals go, and it is a credit to how hard they worked today, but I am very proud of this team."
The Bobcats made it to the conference championship game for the first time in program history, and in the end, came up just short of their ultimate goal.
The Quinnipiac men's soccer team lost 2-1 on Sunday afternoon in the NEC Tournament championship game to the No. 1 Monmouth Hawks at the Great Lawn in West Long Branch, N.J.
Junior Chase Barbier and NEC Player of the Year Ryan Kinne scored for Monmouth, while senior co-captain Shane Recklet scored the Bobcats' lone goal.
"We had a chance to win this game throughout the entire 90 minutes," Quinnipiac head coach Eric Da Costa said. "We lost to a good team and they are a great representative of the conference. They are a top-10 team in the country, and we were right there, battling with them for 90 minutes."
After a scoreless first half, Monmouth came out of halftime pushing for the opening goal. Freshman Ryan Clarke crossed a ball into the 18-yard box from the left side to Barbier in the 51st minute. Barbier out-jumped a couple of Bobcat defenders, and headed the ball into the top right corner of the goal, beating an outstretched Freddy Hall.
Just four minutes later, Kinne helped Monmouth double their lead. Sophomore midfielder RJ Allen curved a free kick from the right side into the box to Kinne, who headed the ball into the bottom right corner of the net. Kinne was later named to the All-Tournament team, Allen was credited with the assist, and was later named the tournament's Most Valuable Player.
But the Bobcats bounced back.
Sophomore defender Conor Murphy collected a rebound on the left side and crossed it into the box in the 61st minute, headed for Recklet. A wet field caused a couple of defenders to slip, and the ball dropped in front of Recklet's feet. The senior captain kept his patience and pushed the ball passed Monmouth goalkeeper Bryan Meredith.
Juniors Nick Pelicaen, Johan Karlhagen and Pierre Soubrier all had chances in the final 30 minutes to tie the game.
Perhaps the best chance came in the final 10 minutes, as Soubrier lined up a free kick from just outside the box. He circled it around Monmouth's wall of defenders but the ball sailed just over the crossbar.
"Our team was right on their heels at all times and we were never intimidated," Da Costa said. "That's how finals go, and it is a credit to how hard they worked today, but I am very proud of this team."
Title.
Feldeine stars in opener
Media Credit: QU Athletics
By Robin Schuppert
After a season of injuries last year, the men's hoops team has set high goals for themselves this season. The first steps toward achieving that goal were taken on Friday night.
The Quinnipiac men's basketball team took down the Hartford Hawks 85-74 on Friday night in the last game of the inaugural Connecticut 6 Classic in Bridgeport, Conn.
James Feldeine led the Bobcats with 23 points and five assists to give the Bobcats their third consecutive 1-0 start since Tom Moore took over as head coach three years ago.
"The first half was hard to deal with, psychologically and emotionally, because a lot of guys were excited to play," Moore said. "I didn't expect to go 12-deep on the bench in the first half of the first game. I thought we handled it pretty well. I had a feeling that if we could just get to the second half without having a bunch of guys fouling out, then we could grind it out in the second half and that's sort of the way it played out."
Down five points early in the second half, the Bobcats started their comeback with an 11-1 run to put them up 59-54. Senior Jeremy Baker's three-point play was followed by one Hartford free throw and a Feldeine 3-pointer, which tied the score at 54. Freshman Jamee Jackson then converted on a three-point play, and junior Justin Rutty followed with a layup to put the Bobcats up by five. They'd never look back.
"In the second half we looked more like us because we had more of our frontline guys playing," Moore said. "The depth of the team has allowed us to have really good practices. Guys are getting after each other more. You can't afford to make any mental mistakes when you have someone almost as good as you breathing down your neck. If we get some bruises or nicks, we'll have guys coming in that can play at a high level."
Feldeine, the reigning Most Improved Player of the NEC, led all Bobcats with 35 minutes of action, went 9-for-17 from the field and added two steals.
"At first, the ball wasn't falling down for me, but I just stuck with it, got my open shots, and knew it was going to fall down eventually," Feldeine said. "I think the jump shot was really working for me today."
Jackson, the 6-foot-7 forward out of St. Anthony High School, pulled down three rebounds and blocked two shots in 15 minutes of playing time. Guard Dave Johnson and forward Raheem May-Thompson, both freshmen, also saw action in the season opener.
"The freshmen played great today, they're going to be big for us this season," Feldeine said.
Junior Jonathan Cruz, playing is his first career game as a Bobcat, led the team with six boards.
The Bobcats return to action tonight, when they will face Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pa. The game is scheduled to tip off at 7:30 p.m.
After a season of injuries last year, the men's hoops team has set high goals for themselves this season. The first steps toward achieving that goal were taken on Friday night.
The Quinnipiac men's basketball team took down the Hartford Hawks 85-74 on Friday night in the last game of the inaugural Connecticut 6 Classic in Bridgeport, Conn.
James Feldeine led the Bobcats with 23 points and five assists to give the Bobcats their third consecutive 1-0 start since Tom Moore took over as head coach three years ago.
"The first half was hard to deal with, psychologically and emotionally, because a lot of guys were excited to play," Moore said. "I didn't expect to go 12-deep on the bench in the first half of the first game. I thought we handled it pretty well. I had a feeling that if we could just get to the second half without having a bunch of guys fouling out, then we could grind it out in the second half and that's sort of the way it played out."
Down five points early in the second half, the Bobcats started their comeback with an 11-1 run to put them up 59-54. Senior Jeremy Baker's three-point play was followed by one Hartford free throw and a Feldeine 3-pointer, which tied the score at 54. Freshman Jamee Jackson then converted on a three-point play, and junior Justin Rutty followed with a layup to put the Bobcats up by five. They'd never look back.
"In the second half we looked more like us because we had more of our frontline guys playing," Moore said. "The depth of the team has allowed us to have really good practices. Guys are getting after each other more. You can't afford to make any mental mistakes when you have someone almost as good as you breathing down your neck. If we get some bruises or nicks, we'll have guys coming in that can play at a high level."
Feldeine, the reigning Most Improved Player of the NEC, led all Bobcats with 35 minutes of action, went 9-for-17 from the field and added two steals.
"At first, the ball wasn't falling down for me, but I just stuck with it, got my open shots, and knew it was going to fall down eventually," Feldeine said. "I think the jump shot was really working for me today."
Jackson, the 6-foot-7 forward out of St. Anthony High School, pulled down three rebounds and blocked two shots in 15 minutes of playing time. Guard Dave Johnson and forward Raheem May-Thompson, both freshmen, also saw action in the season opener.
"The freshmen played great today, they're going to be big for us this season," Feldeine said.
Junior Jonathan Cruz, playing is his first career game as a Bobcat, led the team with six boards.
The Bobcats return to action tonight, when they will face Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pa. The game is scheduled to tip off at 7:30 p.m.
QU advances to first NEC Championship game
Media Credit: Amanda Shulman
By Robin Schuppert - online version
The Quinnipiac men's soccer team won its first ever NEC Tournament game on Friday afternoon, beating St. Francis (N.Y.) in penalty kicks on The Great Lawn at Monmouth University.
Quinnipiac goalkeeper Freddy Hall saved two penalty shots, while Johann Karlhagen, Durval Pereira, Pierre Soubrier and Shane Recklet each converted on their penalty kicks to win the shootout 4-3.
The Bobcats will play tournament host Monmouth on Sunday in the NEC Tournament championship game.
"This is a huge milestone for our program," Quinnipiac head coach Eric Da Costa said. "To get to the NEC championship game has been a goal of ours since I walked into the door. We value how difficult it is to get to the Championship game. Now it's a coin toss, and both teams are going to go out trying to win a championship and get to the NCAA's. This is a great moment for our guys, and the entire athletics department."
St. Francis got out to an early first half lead on a goal by junior forward John Sallhag. Semso Nicocevic took the ball down the right side of the field and passed it to the middle. The ball was lost by a Terrier forward but bounced right back to Nicocevic who immediately passed a low ball to the middle of the 18-yard box. Sallhag was the first to the ball and flicked it past Hall.
Midway through the second half the Bobcats tied the game. Pereira crossed a ball from the left side into the middle of the box. Dominic Adams and a couple of Terrier defenders couldn't catch up to the cross and it carried into the lower right corner of the goal. It was Pereira's second goal of the season.
With the rain and wind picking up, neither team took many chances. Both overtime periods went by with no major scoring opportunities, and penalty kicks had to decide this game.
The Terriers won the coin toss and elected to shoot first. Hall saved the first and fifth penalty shots to set up Recklet for the game-winner. Recklet, a senior captain, pushed the ball into the bottom-right corner of the net to end the game.
"Freddy is our MVP, he's been our MVP all year," Da Costa said. "He's the heartbeat of our team. The faster his heart beats, the faster the heart of the team beats."
The Quinnipiac men's soccer team won its first ever NEC Tournament game on Friday afternoon, beating St. Francis (N.Y.) in penalty kicks on The Great Lawn at Monmouth University.
Quinnipiac goalkeeper Freddy Hall saved two penalty shots, while Johann Karlhagen, Durval Pereira, Pierre Soubrier and Shane Recklet each converted on their penalty kicks to win the shootout 4-3.
The Bobcats will play tournament host Monmouth on Sunday in the NEC Tournament championship game.
"This is a huge milestone for our program," Quinnipiac head coach Eric Da Costa said. "To get to the NEC championship game has been a goal of ours since I walked into the door. We value how difficult it is to get to the Championship game. Now it's a coin toss, and both teams are going to go out trying to win a championship and get to the NCAA's. This is a great moment for our guys, and the entire athletics department."
St. Francis got out to an early first half lead on a goal by junior forward John Sallhag. Semso Nicocevic took the ball down the right side of the field and passed it to the middle. The ball was lost by a Terrier forward but bounced right back to Nicocevic who immediately passed a low ball to the middle of the 18-yard box. Sallhag was the first to the ball and flicked it past Hall.
Midway through the second half the Bobcats tied the game. Pereira crossed a ball from the left side into the middle of the box. Dominic Adams and a couple of Terrier defenders couldn't catch up to the cross and it carried into the lower right corner of the goal. It was Pereira's second goal of the season.
With the rain and wind picking up, neither team took many chances. Both overtime periods went by with no major scoring opportunities, and penalty kicks had to decide this game.
The Terriers won the coin toss and elected to shoot first. Hall saved the first and fifth penalty shots to set up Recklet for the game-winner. Recklet, a senior captain, pushed the ball into the bottom-right corner of the net to end the game.
"Freddy is our MVP, he's been our MVP all year," Da Costa said. "He's the heartbeat of our team. The faster his heart beats, the faster the heart of the team beats."
Suprise sends 'Cats to NEC Tournament
Media Credit: QU Athletics
By Robin Schuppert
The first goal of the season was reached this past weekend; the second goal will be fought for this upcoming weekend.
The Quinnipiac men's soccer team beat Central Connecticut State 1-0 on Friday night at Arute Field in New Britain. Freshman Philip Suprise scored the lone goal late in the game and senior goalkeeper Freddy Hall recorded his ninth shutout of the season to give the Bobcats the win and the third seed in the NEC tournament for the second consecutive year.
"It wasn't our best game today, but it was a game that we thought we had to win," Quinnipiac head coach Eric Da Costa said. "We wanted to position ourselves for the playoffs and the boys came out and got the result."
And they did it on an abnormal field.
"We had to play on a turf field, and it's a surface we're not used to playing on," Da Costa said. "The bounces are a lot more unforgiving."
In the 82nd minute, Dominic Adams ran past a defender and then crossed the ball into the middle of the 18-yard box. The Blue Devils' goalkeeper, Paul Armstrong, couldn't hang on to the ball and dropped it in front of the feet of Suprise. The freshman pushed the ball across the goal line for his team-leading seventh goal of the season.
"Having seen every other rookie in the league, [Suprise] is definitely the most dangerous one in the conference," Da Costa said. "He's a good player, and a top rookie player in the league, and we all hope he gets recognized for that. There may be some rookies with better numbers, but his value to us is irreplaceable."
The Bobcats recorded six shots and only three shots on goal. Chris Jones made one save while he was in net for the Blue Devils in the first half before the Blue Devils opted to bring in Paul Armstrong. He saved one shot.
After giving up six goals in two games last weekend, Hall only needed to make two saves for his ninth shutout of the season on Friday night.
"To give up four goals to Mount St. Mary's last weekend was obviously something we don't normally do," Da Costa said. "We realized that it wasn't good enough, and we made a promise to ourselves that it wouldn't happen again. I think we're back on track for where we need to be."
The Bobcats will play in the NEC Tournament this weekend for the fourth time since joining the NEC in 1998. This is the first time they have gone on to play in the tournament in consecutive years.
"We've come a long way in a short period of time," Da Costa said. "When I walked in the door in 2005, we knew it would take some time to rebuild the program. But our goals since that day were always to be in the top four in the NEC on a consistent basis and give ourselves a chance to play in the NCAA Tournament on a consistent basis. In the last two years, we've done that. We're proud of the boys, and we want to continue in this direction."
This weekend the Bobcats will take on No. 2 St. Francis (N.Y.) in a semifinal matchup of the NEC Tournament, hosted by Monmouth University. The winner of that match, will take on the winner of the Monmouth-Fairleigh Dickinson matchup in the finals. The game times have yet to be announced.
The Bobcats finished the regular season with a 9-3-6 overall record while compiling a 6-2-2 record in the NEC. Their 20 points are the most ever recorded by the program since joining the NEC.
The first goal of the season was reached this past weekend; the second goal will be fought for this upcoming weekend.
The Quinnipiac men's soccer team beat Central Connecticut State 1-0 on Friday night at Arute Field in New Britain. Freshman Philip Suprise scored the lone goal late in the game and senior goalkeeper Freddy Hall recorded his ninth shutout of the season to give the Bobcats the win and the third seed in the NEC tournament for the second consecutive year.
"It wasn't our best game today, but it was a game that we thought we had to win," Quinnipiac head coach Eric Da Costa said. "We wanted to position ourselves for the playoffs and the boys came out and got the result."
And they did it on an abnormal field.
"We had to play on a turf field, and it's a surface we're not used to playing on," Da Costa said. "The bounces are a lot more unforgiving."
In the 82nd minute, Dominic Adams ran past a defender and then crossed the ball into the middle of the 18-yard box. The Blue Devils' goalkeeper, Paul Armstrong, couldn't hang on to the ball and dropped it in front of the feet of Suprise. The freshman pushed the ball across the goal line for his team-leading seventh goal of the season.
"Having seen every other rookie in the league, [Suprise] is definitely the most dangerous one in the conference," Da Costa said. "He's a good player, and a top rookie player in the league, and we all hope he gets recognized for that. There may be some rookies with better numbers, but his value to us is irreplaceable."
The Bobcats recorded six shots and only three shots on goal. Chris Jones made one save while he was in net for the Blue Devils in the first half before the Blue Devils opted to bring in Paul Armstrong. He saved one shot.
After giving up six goals in two games last weekend, Hall only needed to make two saves for his ninth shutout of the season on Friday night.
"To give up four goals to Mount St. Mary's last weekend was obviously something we don't normally do," Da Costa said. "We realized that it wasn't good enough, and we made a promise to ourselves that it wouldn't happen again. I think we're back on track for where we need to be."
The Bobcats will play in the NEC Tournament this weekend for the fourth time since joining the NEC in 1998. This is the first time they have gone on to play in the tournament in consecutive years.
"We've come a long way in a short period of time," Da Costa said. "When I walked in the door in 2005, we knew it would take some time to rebuild the program. But our goals since that day were always to be in the top four in the NEC on a consistent basis and give ourselves a chance to play in the NCAA Tournament on a consistent basis. In the last two years, we've done that. We're proud of the boys, and we want to continue in this direction."
This weekend the Bobcats will take on No. 2 St. Francis (N.Y.) in a semifinal matchup of the NEC Tournament, hosted by Monmouth University. The winner of that match, will take on the winner of the Monmouth-Fairleigh Dickinson matchup in the finals. The game times have yet to be announced.
The Bobcats finished the regular season with a 9-3-6 overall record while compiling a 6-2-2 record in the NEC. Their 20 points are the most ever recorded by the program since joining the NEC.
Bobcats fall in NEC semifinals
Media Credit: QU Athletics
By Robin Schuppert
While the team lost its first postseason game since 2004, there's plenty of young firepower to make another run next season.
No. 3 Quinnipiac women's soccer team lost to the No. 2 Monmouth Hawks 1-0 on Friday afternoon in the NEC semifinals, hosted by Central Connecticut State University in New Britain. Junior forward Mary Wilks scored her league-leading 12th goal of the season in the 36th minute to give the Hawks the win.
"We got punished on a mistake, and we didn't take our chances when they came," Quinnipiac head coach Dave Clarke said. "We actually played quite well, but we just ran out of gas a little bit in the end. Illnesses and injuries caught up with key players. Overall, we did well and we stayed in it until the end."
Sophomore midfielder Courtney Snyder collected a Bobcat turnover at the midfield line and chipped a ball over the defense and into the 18-yard box. Wilks beat a couple of Bobcat defenders to the ball and blasted a shot over the head of goalie Biz Cook.
Freshman Jillian Strasser had an early chance to put the Bobcats on the board. In the 11th minute, she collected a cross from the left side and shot it just wide left of the goal. Quinnipiac's best chance to score came early in the second half. Junior Meagan McLoughlin picked up a rebound 11 yards from the goal and blasted a ball right into the hands of Hawks' goalie Lia Fierro.
Quinnipiac was held to seven total shots and only one shot on goal. Fierro picked up her league-leading 13th shutout. Before the tournament, Fierro was named the goalie for the All-NEC First Team. Junior Ali Kliment, a member of the Hawks' back four, was named the NEC Defensive Player of the Year.
Strassner, who led the Bobcats with two shots on Friday, was named the NEC Rookie of the Year and also earned a spot on the All-NEC First Team. She ranked second on the team with four goals and three assists.
She was joined on the First Team by sophomore teammate Furtuna Velaj, who led the team with 11 goals and eight assists. Quinnipiac sophomore midfielder Kristina Del Mistro and senior Hanne Walleck were both named to the All-Tournament team.
Walleck was named to the All-NEC Second Team for her defensive efforts. She was the only player to start all 16 regular season games, and was a big contributor to a defense that only gave up 24 goals.
Monmouth went on to beat No. 1 CCSU in the championship game, 1-0, on Sunday afternoon in overtime on a goal from Wilks in the 92nd minute. Wilks was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player, and Fierro notched her 14th shutout of the season.
Quinnipiac ended the season with a 8-7-2 overall record and a 7-3-1 record in the NEC. The loss marked the final game in blue and gold for seniors Justine Lombardi, Olivia Kravitz, Lindsay Oliveri, Susan Donovan and Kara Barrepski.
While the team lost its first postseason game since 2004, there's plenty of young firepower to make another run next season.
No. 3 Quinnipiac women's soccer team lost to the No. 2 Monmouth Hawks 1-0 on Friday afternoon in the NEC semifinals, hosted by Central Connecticut State University in New Britain. Junior forward Mary Wilks scored her league-leading 12th goal of the season in the 36th minute to give the Hawks the win.
"We got punished on a mistake, and we didn't take our chances when they came," Quinnipiac head coach Dave Clarke said. "We actually played quite well, but we just ran out of gas a little bit in the end. Illnesses and injuries caught up with key players. Overall, we did well and we stayed in it until the end."
Sophomore midfielder Courtney Snyder collected a Bobcat turnover at the midfield line and chipped a ball over the defense and into the 18-yard box. Wilks beat a couple of Bobcat defenders to the ball and blasted a shot over the head of goalie Biz Cook.
Freshman Jillian Strasser had an early chance to put the Bobcats on the board. In the 11th minute, she collected a cross from the left side and shot it just wide left of the goal. Quinnipiac's best chance to score came early in the second half. Junior Meagan McLoughlin picked up a rebound 11 yards from the goal and blasted a ball right into the hands of Hawks' goalie Lia Fierro.
Quinnipiac was held to seven total shots and only one shot on goal. Fierro picked up her league-leading 13th shutout. Before the tournament, Fierro was named the goalie for the All-NEC First Team. Junior Ali Kliment, a member of the Hawks' back four, was named the NEC Defensive Player of the Year.
Strassner, who led the Bobcats with two shots on Friday, was named the NEC Rookie of the Year and also earned a spot on the All-NEC First Team. She ranked second on the team with four goals and three assists.
She was joined on the First Team by sophomore teammate Furtuna Velaj, who led the team with 11 goals and eight assists. Quinnipiac sophomore midfielder Kristina Del Mistro and senior Hanne Walleck were both named to the All-Tournament team.
Walleck was named to the All-NEC Second Team for her defensive efforts. She was the only player to start all 16 regular season games, and was a big contributor to a defense that only gave up 24 goals.
Monmouth went on to beat No. 1 CCSU in the championship game, 1-0, on Sunday afternoon in overtime on a goal from Wilks in the 92nd minute. Wilks was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player, and Fierro notched her 14th shutout of the season.
Quinnipiac ended the season with a 8-7-2 overall record and a 7-3-1 record in the NEC. The loss marked the final game in blue and gold for seniors Justine Lombardi, Olivia Kravitz, Lindsay Oliveri, Susan Donovan and Kara Barrepski.
Senior Strikes:
Oliveri nets game-winner
Media Credit: QU Athletics
By Robin Schuppert
The Quinnipiac women's soccer team had already clinched its first playoff berth since 2004 on Friday afternoon, but on Senior Day, a senior assured that she and the six other seniors left the field as winners in their final home game as Bobcats.
Lindsay Oliveri scored the game's lone goal in the 39th minute to give Quinnipiac a 1-0 win over St. Francis (Pa.) on Sunday afternoon at the Quinnipiac Soccer Field, the first win on Senior Day since 2004. Oliveri one-timed sophomore Kristina Del Mistro's cross from the far side over the goalie's head.
"It really felt great to put the one in the back of the net," Oliveri said. "To do it on my home field was a really great feeling."
Along with Oliveri, head coach Dave Clarke put all seven seniors in the starting lineup.
"I've had great affinity with all the senior classes, but this one more so, because I've had eight or nine years with a lot of the players," Clarke said.
Quinnipiac sophomore forward Furtuna Velaj and Red Flash senior Brittin Grenninger led their respective teams with five shots apiece.
The Bobcats finished the year on a 7-1-1 run since the beginning of October. They finished third in the NEC with 22 points, and advanced to the playoffs for the sixth time since joining the NEC in 1998.
"We are glad we kept the momentum going," Clarke said. "You don't want to look back next Friday and say we enjoyed senior day too much. We didn't want to take our foot off the gas and then pay for it later."
Third-seeded Quinnipiac will play No. 2 Monmouth on Friday in the semifinals of the NEC Tournament at Central Connecticut State.
The Quinnipiac women's soccer team had already clinched its first playoff berth since 2004 on Friday afternoon, but on Senior Day, a senior assured that she and the six other seniors left the field as winners in their final home game as Bobcats.
Lindsay Oliveri scored the game's lone goal in the 39th minute to give Quinnipiac a 1-0 win over St. Francis (Pa.) on Sunday afternoon at the Quinnipiac Soccer Field, the first win on Senior Day since 2004. Oliveri one-timed sophomore Kristina Del Mistro's cross from the far side over the goalie's head.
"It really felt great to put the one in the back of the net," Oliveri said. "To do it on my home field was a really great feeling."
Along with Oliveri, head coach Dave Clarke put all seven seniors in the starting lineup.
"I've had great affinity with all the senior classes, but this one more so, because I've had eight or nine years with a lot of the players," Clarke said.
Quinnipiac sophomore forward Furtuna Velaj and Red Flash senior Brittin Grenninger led their respective teams with five shots apiece.
The Bobcats finished the year on a 7-1-1 run since the beginning of October. They finished third in the NEC with 22 points, and advanced to the playoffs for the sixth time since joining the NEC in 1998.
"We are glad we kept the momentum going," Clarke said. "You don't want to look back next Friday and say we enjoyed senior day too much. We didn't want to take our foot off the gas and then pay for it later."
Third-seeded Quinnipiac will play No. 2 Monmouth on Friday in the semifinals of the NEC Tournament at Central Connecticut State.
Men's soccer sits atop NEC after tie
Media Credit: QU Athletics
By Robin Schuppert
Quinnipiac senior men's soccer goalkeepers Freddy Hall and Alexander Rousselle, along with midfielders Kevin Nunes and Shane Recklet, didn't win their final regular season home game. But by the end of the day, the team had taken a huge step toward a greater goal.
The men's soccer team tied St. Francis (N.Y.) 1-1 in its final regular season home game at the Quinnipiac Soccer Field, moving the Bobcats into sole possession of first place in the NEC with 17 points, one ahead of Monmouth and St. Francis (N.Y.). All three teams have three games remaining in the regular season.
"I think both of us are walking away from here happy with the results," head coach Eric Da Costa said. "Not that both teams played for a tie. Each team is going out looking to win to create some space between second and third place. It was a hard fought game, and St. Francis is a very good team."
The Bobcats got on the board first with a goal in the 18th minute from junior defenseman Tolle Staffanson. Freshman Philip Suprise corralled a rebound, turned around and saw Staffanson wide open in front of the net. Staffanson jammed the ball into the top left corner with his left foot for the 1-0 lead. It was Staffanson's first career goal, making him the seventh different player this season to have scored his first career goal. Suprise picked up his second assist of the year, and now leads the team with 14 points this season
Both teams came out much more aggressively in the second half. The Terriers controlled the ball and had some chances to tie the game early on. Robbie Weir had the equalizer on his foot, but was stopped by Hall in the 69th minute. A St. Francis throw-in from the left side fell right at the feet of Weir. Weir didn't let the ball bounce and shot a hard hit ball into the lower-left corner of the goal. Hall dove and made a tremendous save to keep his team in front.
It was Nick Baum who finally beat Hall and tied the score at 1-1 in the 86th minute. St. Francis defenseman Anthony Matos headed a cross into the middle of the box, trying to find Baum. Hall tried to dive for the cross and lost his footing, so Baum simply tapped the ball into the lower-left corner for the equalizer.
"On a dry field, he probably would have made that save," Da Costa said. "The field was borderline unplayable for both teams; both teams adjusted well and the players did the best they could."
It was the first NEC regular season goal Hall has given up since Oct. 31, 2008 - a span of 1,030 consecutive minutes.
For the sixth time this season, the Bobcats had to go into overtime. The Bobcats outplayed St. Francis in both overtime periods, outshooting them 8-3, but couldn't find the back of the net.
In the first overtime it was Staffanson who could have ended the game. With four minutes left in the period, Durval Pereira passed a corner to Carl Stensland, who lobbed it to a wide open Staffanson. Staffanson headed the ball toward the right side of the goal, but a great save from Chris Antonino preserved the tie.
The Bobcats recorded 25 shots in the game, while St. Francis had 26. Pereira and Semso Nikocevic led all players with six shots.
Hall finished the game for the Bobcats with seven saves. His counterpart, Antonino finished the game with 10 saves.
The Bobcats now stand at 8-1-6 overall and 5-0-2 NEC.
This weekend the Bobcats will hit the road to play Mount St. Mary's on Friday at 7 p.m. and Monmouth on Sunday at 1 p.m. Mount St. Mary's is currently tied for fourth place in the NEC with 10 points, while Monmouth is tied for second with 16 points. Currently, Monmouth is ranked seventh in the nation.
Quinnipiac senior men's soccer goalkeepers Freddy Hall and Alexander Rousselle, along with midfielders Kevin Nunes and Shane Recklet, didn't win their final regular season home game. But by the end of the day, the team had taken a huge step toward a greater goal.
The men's soccer team tied St. Francis (N.Y.) 1-1 in its final regular season home game at the Quinnipiac Soccer Field, moving the Bobcats into sole possession of first place in the NEC with 17 points, one ahead of Monmouth and St. Francis (N.Y.). All three teams have three games remaining in the regular season.
"I think both of us are walking away from here happy with the results," head coach Eric Da Costa said. "Not that both teams played for a tie. Each team is going out looking to win to create some space between second and third place. It was a hard fought game, and St. Francis is a very good team."
The Bobcats got on the board first with a goal in the 18th minute from junior defenseman Tolle Staffanson. Freshman Philip Suprise corralled a rebound, turned around and saw Staffanson wide open in front of the net. Staffanson jammed the ball into the top left corner with his left foot for the 1-0 lead. It was Staffanson's first career goal, making him the seventh different player this season to have scored his first career goal. Suprise picked up his second assist of the year, and now leads the team with 14 points this season
Both teams came out much more aggressively in the second half. The Terriers controlled the ball and had some chances to tie the game early on. Robbie Weir had the equalizer on his foot, but was stopped by Hall in the 69th minute. A St. Francis throw-in from the left side fell right at the feet of Weir. Weir didn't let the ball bounce and shot a hard hit ball into the lower-left corner of the goal. Hall dove and made a tremendous save to keep his team in front.
It was Nick Baum who finally beat Hall and tied the score at 1-1 in the 86th minute. St. Francis defenseman Anthony Matos headed a cross into the middle of the box, trying to find Baum. Hall tried to dive for the cross and lost his footing, so Baum simply tapped the ball into the lower-left corner for the equalizer.
"On a dry field, he probably would have made that save," Da Costa said. "The field was borderline unplayable for both teams; both teams adjusted well and the players did the best they could."
It was the first NEC regular season goal Hall has given up since Oct. 31, 2008 - a span of 1,030 consecutive minutes.
For the sixth time this season, the Bobcats had to go into overtime. The Bobcats outplayed St. Francis in both overtime periods, outshooting them 8-3, but couldn't find the back of the net.
In the first overtime it was Staffanson who could have ended the game. With four minutes left in the period, Durval Pereira passed a corner to Carl Stensland, who lobbed it to a wide open Staffanson. Staffanson headed the ball toward the right side of the goal, but a great save from Chris Antonino preserved the tie.
The Bobcats recorded 25 shots in the game, while St. Francis had 26. Pereira and Semso Nikocevic led all players with six shots.
Hall finished the game for the Bobcats with seven saves. His counterpart, Antonino finished the game with 10 saves.
The Bobcats now stand at 8-1-6 overall and 5-0-2 NEC.
This weekend the Bobcats will hit the road to play Mount St. Mary's on Friday at 7 p.m. and Monmouth on Sunday at 1 p.m. Mount St. Mary's is currently tied for fourth place in the NEC with 10 points, while Monmouth is tied for second with 16 points. Currently, Monmouth is ranked seventh in the nation.
Bobcats stay in playoff hunt
Media Credit: QU Athletics
By Robin Schuppert
Unceasing rain flooded the Quinnipiac Soccer Field on Sunday afternoon, as the women's soccer team beat the Wagner Seahawks 4-2. By the end of the game, the field was the closest thing to having a pool at Quinnipiac.
Bobcat freshman Jillian Strassner scored once and had two assists to help lead Quinnipiac past Wagner 4-2. The win moves the Bobcats up to third place in the Northeast Conference with just four games remaining in the season. The top four teams make it to the NEC tournament.
"This has been a tremendous week for us," Quinnipiac head coach Dave Clarke said. "We were 1-9-2 in the last three years [in this week], and now we picked up three wins and a draw out of this week. So we put ourselves in the driver's seat to be where we want to be for the next month."
Strassner scored her fourth goal of the season in the 19th minute off a corner from sophomore Furtuna Velaj to start the scoring. Strassner was in a pack of players just outside the 6-yard box and jumped the highest to head the ball into the top right corner of the goal. Velaj was credited with her sixth assist of the season.
Eight minutes before halftime, the Bobcats doubled their lead. Strassner collected her first assist of the season when she stole the ball from a Wagner defender and dropped it off to a wide open Shauna Edwards, a freshman. She shot a low and wet ball that went from just inside the 18-yard box off goalkeeper Jen Emigholz's hands and rolled into the lower left corner of the goal. Edwards picked up her second goal of the season.
The Bobcats kept their foot on the gas in the second half and scored a goal just five minutes into the half. This time, Strassner charged down the left side of the field and crossed a ball into the middle. Senior Amber Sidoti just had to tap the ball into the back of the net for her first goal of the season. It was Strassner's second assist of the game.
The Seahawks may have received some help from the weather to cut the deficit to 3-1 in the 61st minute. Wagner's Monica Zurich sent a harmless-looking ball up field just out of the reach of Briana Vassallo. Bobcat goalie Elizabeth Cook kneeled down to collect the ball, but the ball slipped out of her hands. Vassallo was the first to recover and pushed the ball into the lower left corner of the goal.
Thirteen minutes later, Vassallo connected for her second goal of the game to cut the Bobcats lead to one. This time Julie Vigliotti sent a ball from midfield down the left side to a charging Vassallo. The junior forward ran inside the box and drilled the ball into the top left corner to beat Cook.
The Bobcats didn't seem shocked, and scored the final goal a minute later in the 75th minute. Furtuna Velaj curved a nice cross from the right side into the box that was originally caught by Wagner's goalie. Emigholz couldn't hold on to the wet ball and it dropped right in front of the feet of senior Lindsay Oliveri. Oliveri kicked the ball into the bottom left corner for the 4-2 final. It was her first career goal, and Velaj picked up her team-leading seventh assist.
The Bobcats had a season-high 29 shots and won for the fourth time in their last five games. They improve to 5-5-1 overall and 4-1-1 in the NEC. Wagner registered nine shots in the loss and drops to 1-12-2 overall and 0-6-1 in the NEC.
Elizabeth Cook recorded three saves and improved to 4-0-1 since taking the starting job for the Bobcats.
"I knew she had potential," Clarke said. "It was more of a tactical change in terms of bringing her in ahead of Kendra [Margulies], who had done well. It was because of the game against Sacred Heart on turf that Biz placed a little bit higher. It's worked out well."
The Bobcats now have 13 points in the NEC, three points behind Monmouth and Central Connecticut State University for first place.
This weekend the Bobcats will go on the road for their final two road games of the regular season. They will take on Mount St. Mary's on Friday at 7 p.m. and will face Monmouth on Sunday at 1 p.m.
Unceasing rain flooded the Quinnipiac Soccer Field on Sunday afternoon, as the women's soccer team beat the Wagner Seahawks 4-2. By the end of the game, the field was the closest thing to having a pool at Quinnipiac.
Bobcat freshman Jillian Strassner scored once and had two assists to help lead Quinnipiac past Wagner 4-2. The win moves the Bobcats up to third place in the Northeast Conference with just four games remaining in the season. The top four teams make it to the NEC tournament.
"This has been a tremendous week for us," Quinnipiac head coach Dave Clarke said. "We were 1-9-2 in the last three years [in this week], and now we picked up three wins and a draw out of this week. So we put ourselves in the driver's seat to be where we want to be for the next month."
Strassner scored her fourth goal of the season in the 19th minute off a corner from sophomore Furtuna Velaj to start the scoring. Strassner was in a pack of players just outside the 6-yard box and jumped the highest to head the ball into the top right corner of the goal. Velaj was credited with her sixth assist of the season.
Eight minutes before halftime, the Bobcats doubled their lead. Strassner collected her first assist of the season when she stole the ball from a Wagner defender and dropped it off to a wide open Shauna Edwards, a freshman. She shot a low and wet ball that went from just inside the 18-yard box off goalkeeper Jen Emigholz's hands and rolled into the lower left corner of the goal. Edwards picked up her second goal of the season.
The Bobcats kept their foot on the gas in the second half and scored a goal just five minutes into the half. This time, Strassner charged down the left side of the field and crossed a ball into the middle. Senior Amber Sidoti just had to tap the ball into the back of the net for her first goal of the season. It was Strassner's second assist of the game.
The Seahawks may have received some help from the weather to cut the deficit to 3-1 in the 61st minute. Wagner's Monica Zurich sent a harmless-looking ball up field just out of the reach of Briana Vassallo. Bobcat goalie Elizabeth Cook kneeled down to collect the ball, but the ball slipped out of her hands. Vassallo was the first to recover and pushed the ball into the lower left corner of the goal.
Thirteen minutes later, Vassallo connected for her second goal of the game to cut the Bobcats lead to one. This time Julie Vigliotti sent a ball from midfield down the left side to a charging Vassallo. The junior forward ran inside the box and drilled the ball into the top left corner to beat Cook.
The Bobcats didn't seem shocked, and scored the final goal a minute later in the 75th minute. Furtuna Velaj curved a nice cross from the right side into the box that was originally caught by Wagner's goalie. Emigholz couldn't hold on to the wet ball and it dropped right in front of the feet of senior Lindsay Oliveri. Oliveri kicked the ball into the bottom left corner for the 4-2 final. It was her first career goal, and Velaj picked up her team-leading seventh assist.
The Bobcats had a season-high 29 shots and won for the fourth time in their last five games. They improve to 5-5-1 overall and 4-1-1 in the NEC. Wagner registered nine shots in the loss and drops to 1-12-2 overall and 0-6-1 in the NEC.
Elizabeth Cook recorded three saves and improved to 4-0-1 since taking the starting job for the Bobcats.
"I knew she had potential," Clarke said. "It was more of a tactical change in terms of bringing her in ahead of Kendra [Margulies], who had done well. It was because of the game against Sacred Heart on turf that Biz placed a little bit higher. It's worked out well."
The Bobcats now have 13 points in the NEC, three points behind Monmouth and Central Connecticut State University for first place.
This weekend the Bobcats will go on the road for their final two road games of the regular season. They will take on Mount St. Mary's on Friday at 7 p.m. and will face Monmouth on Sunday at 1 p.m.
Bobcats end six game homestand on a high note
Media Credit: QU Athletics
By Robin Schuppert
On a day when the former Quinnipiac All-American star forward Graciano Brito was in attendance, a future star may have emerged for the Bobcats.
The Quinnipiac Bobcats beat the Bryant Bulldogs 3-0 on Friday afternoon in their final game of a six game homestand at the Quinnipiac Soccer Field. Freshman Philip Suprise led the Bobcats offensively by scoring all three goals and recording his first career hat trick. The Bobcats remain undefeated for the season with a 5-0-5 overall record, and a 2-0-1 NEC record.
"He probably could have had a couple more there, but he put himself in great positions and our team did a great job of finding him in those spaces," Quinnipiac head coach Eric Da Costa said. "He did a good job. He put his chances away and was a little bit unfortunate not to get a couple more."
The Bobcats got off to a fast start offensively. In the 13th minute sophomore defender Matthew Rothbart fed Suprise around the top left corner of the 18-yard box. Suprise spun around a Bulldog defender and ripped a shot on goal with his left foot. Matt Miscione, Bryant's freshman goalkeeper, couldn't get a grip on the ball, and it deflected off his hands into the back of the net. It was Suprise's third goal of the season and Rothbart picked up his first career point on the assist.
Quinnipiac continued to put on the pressure offensively even after scoring the opening goal. After Rothbart and Dominic Adams missed opportunities, Suprise found the back of the net again in the 32nd minute. Junior Nick Pelicaen placed a low ball behind Bryant's defense giving Suprise a one-on-one with Miscione. The freshman forward easily pushed the ball passed Miscione and into the lower right corner for another left-footed goal. Pelicaen picked up his second assist of the season.
The Bobcats didn't miss a beat in the start of the second half and continued to dominate every aspect of the game. Pelicaen and Suprise both missed opportunities for goals early on in the second half. It wasn't until the 65th minute that Suprise got his hat trick. Sophomore Durval Pereira got the ball at the midfield line and started a three-on-two rush. He originally faked a pass to a charging Pelicaen, but then crossed it to a wide open Suprise inside the box. Suprise looked up and slid the ball past the Bulldogs backup goalkeeper Victor Tutino with his right foot into the lower right corner of the goal.
"It was a good pass by DJ, and I just put it away," Suprise said. "It's been a great learning experience. I've gotten a lot better just by playing these last couple of months. I just hope to do really well for the rest of the season."
After a few more chances, the Bobcats used the rest of the game to rest some starters and give freshmen some important in-conference playing time. Marijan Jurac, William Cavallo, and Ryan Malki all came in to seal the victory. Junior Johan Karlhagen also had a much anticipated comeback and played his first 16 minutes of the homestand. Before a tough finishing stretch in the schedule, the Bobcats are starting to come together as a team.
"The attitude of this team has been great all year," Da Costa said. "To be honest all the way back to last spring the attitude has always been great. These guys get along real well and really care for each other and care for the program, and that always makes it easier for the coaching staff. After two wins you're going to see a lot of smiling faces."
Goalkeeper Freddy Hall wasn't tested much, stopping just four shots. His scoreless streak has now reached 290 consecutive minutes. Hall was taken out in the 80th minute for senior Alexander Rousselle who made one save, his first since 2007. Together, Hall and Rousselle recorded the Bobcats' sixth shutout of the season.
On the other side, Matt Miscione, the Bulldogs freshman goalie had two saves and allowed two goals for Bryant. He was lifted after the first half for junior Victor Tutino. Tutino had one save and allowed one goal. With the loss, the Bulldogs' record drops to 2-9 overall and 0-3 in the NEC.
On a day when the former Quinnipiac All-American star forward Graciano Brito was in attendance, a future star may have emerged for the Bobcats.
The Quinnipiac Bobcats beat the Bryant Bulldogs 3-0 on Friday afternoon in their final game of a six game homestand at the Quinnipiac Soccer Field. Freshman Philip Suprise led the Bobcats offensively by scoring all three goals and recording his first career hat trick. The Bobcats remain undefeated for the season with a 5-0-5 overall record, and a 2-0-1 NEC record.
"He probably could have had a couple more there, but he put himself in great positions and our team did a great job of finding him in those spaces," Quinnipiac head coach Eric Da Costa said. "He did a good job. He put his chances away and was a little bit unfortunate not to get a couple more."
The Bobcats got off to a fast start offensively. In the 13th minute sophomore defender Matthew Rothbart fed Suprise around the top left corner of the 18-yard box. Suprise spun around a Bulldog defender and ripped a shot on goal with his left foot. Matt Miscione, Bryant's freshman goalkeeper, couldn't get a grip on the ball, and it deflected off his hands into the back of the net. It was Suprise's third goal of the season and Rothbart picked up his first career point on the assist.
Quinnipiac continued to put on the pressure offensively even after scoring the opening goal. After Rothbart and Dominic Adams missed opportunities, Suprise found the back of the net again in the 32nd minute. Junior Nick Pelicaen placed a low ball behind Bryant's defense giving Suprise a one-on-one with Miscione. The freshman forward easily pushed the ball passed Miscione and into the lower right corner for another left-footed goal. Pelicaen picked up his second assist of the season.
The Bobcats didn't miss a beat in the start of the second half and continued to dominate every aspect of the game. Pelicaen and Suprise both missed opportunities for goals early on in the second half. It wasn't until the 65th minute that Suprise got his hat trick. Sophomore Durval Pereira got the ball at the midfield line and started a three-on-two rush. He originally faked a pass to a charging Pelicaen, but then crossed it to a wide open Suprise inside the box. Suprise looked up and slid the ball past the Bulldogs backup goalkeeper Victor Tutino with his right foot into the lower right corner of the goal.
"It was a good pass by DJ, and I just put it away," Suprise said. "It's been a great learning experience. I've gotten a lot better just by playing these last couple of months. I just hope to do really well for the rest of the season."
After a few more chances, the Bobcats used the rest of the game to rest some starters and give freshmen some important in-conference playing time. Marijan Jurac, William Cavallo, and Ryan Malki all came in to seal the victory. Junior Johan Karlhagen also had a much anticipated comeback and played his first 16 minutes of the homestand. Before a tough finishing stretch in the schedule, the Bobcats are starting to come together as a team.
"The attitude of this team has been great all year," Da Costa said. "To be honest all the way back to last spring the attitude has always been great. These guys get along real well and really care for each other and care for the program, and that always makes it easier for the coaching staff. After two wins you're going to see a lot of smiling faces."
Goalkeeper Freddy Hall wasn't tested much, stopping just four shots. His scoreless streak has now reached 290 consecutive minutes. Hall was taken out in the 80th minute for senior Alexander Rousselle who made one save, his first since 2007. Together, Hall and Rousselle recorded the Bobcats' sixth shutout of the season.
On the other side, Matt Miscione, the Bulldogs freshman goalie had two saves and allowed two goals for Bryant. He was lifted after the first half for junior Victor Tutino. Tutino had one save and allowed one goal. With the loss, the Bulldogs' record drops to 2-9 overall and 0-3 in the NEC.
Scoreless affair disappoints Da Costa
Media Credit: Lawrence Bremer
By Robin Schuppert
Quinnipiac head coach Eric Da Costa cast a grim gaze toward the scoreboard as the time expired and the scoreboard displayed zeroes. It wasn't a loss, but it certainly wasn't what he was looking for.
The Quinnipiac Bobcats men's soccer team played the Robert Morris Colonials to a scoreless draw at the Quinnipiac Soccer Field on Friday afternoon. It was the fifth tie of the season through eight games for the Bobcats.
"This tie feels like a loss, to be honest," Da Costa said. "It's a team that's coming in here 0-9, and maybe their play isn't reflective of their record, and it's a team that we should have put away."
Robert Morris played a better first half of the two teams recording 13 shots compared to the Bobcats' eight. The Colonials' best chance came in the 34th minute when sophomore David Torrance missed an opportunity to put the Colonials on top. After receiving a pass just inside the 18-yard box, Torrance was one-on-one with senior goalkeeper Freddy Hall. He moved around him and took the shot from the right side of the box. Hall was originally out of position, but recovered in time, sprinted back to his goal and cleared the ball off the goal line with his foot.
The second half featured a more determined Bobcats team, as they outshot the Colonials 10-8. Juniors Dwayne Mars and Nick Pelicaen both had scoring opportunities to put the Bobcats ahead. But the best opportunity to score came late in the first half when junior Dominic Adams saw Pelicaen charging. Pelicaen moved around a defender just outside the box, but his shot sailed just wide.
The Bobcats turned it up another notch in the two overtime periods and pushed for the win. They outshot the Colonials 5-1, with Durval Pereira and Matthew Rothbart having good looks, but couldn't find the back of the net.
Hall picked up his fourth shutout of the season, and finished the game with six saves. All six came in regulation, none in overtime. His counterpart, freshman Toba Bolaji, also had six saves for the visiting Colonials. Five of those were in regulation and one of them in overtime.
For the game, the Bobcats recorded 23 shots compared to 22 for the Colonials.
"We're still undefeated, that's the positive, and we're still undefeated in Conference play, that's another positive," Da Costa said. "But the ties are starting to pile up and we lost two points today instead of gaining a maximum of three. So we'll take the one point but we're not happy about it, by any means."
Quinnipiac head coach Eric Da Costa cast a grim gaze toward the scoreboard as the time expired and the scoreboard displayed zeroes. It wasn't a loss, but it certainly wasn't what he was looking for.
The Quinnipiac Bobcats men's soccer team played the Robert Morris Colonials to a scoreless draw at the Quinnipiac Soccer Field on Friday afternoon. It was the fifth tie of the season through eight games for the Bobcats.
"This tie feels like a loss, to be honest," Da Costa said. "It's a team that's coming in here 0-9, and maybe their play isn't reflective of their record, and it's a team that we should have put away."
Robert Morris played a better first half of the two teams recording 13 shots compared to the Bobcats' eight. The Colonials' best chance came in the 34th minute when sophomore David Torrance missed an opportunity to put the Colonials on top. After receiving a pass just inside the 18-yard box, Torrance was one-on-one with senior goalkeeper Freddy Hall. He moved around him and took the shot from the right side of the box. Hall was originally out of position, but recovered in time, sprinted back to his goal and cleared the ball off the goal line with his foot.
The second half featured a more determined Bobcats team, as they outshot the Colonials 10-8. Juniors Dwayne Mars and Nick Pelicaen both had scoring opportunities to put the Bobcats ahead. But the best opportunity to score came late in the first half when junior Dominic Adams saw Pelicaen charging. Pelicaen moved around a defender just outside the box, but his shot sailed just wide.
The Bobcats turned it up another notch in the two overtime periods and pushed for the win. They outshot the Colonials 5-1, with Durval Pereira and Matthew Rothbart having good looks, but couldn't find the back of the net.
Hall picked up his fourth shutout of the season, and finished the game with six saves. All six came in regulation, none in overtime. His counterpart, freshman Toba Bolaji, also had six saves for the visiting Colonials. Five of those were in regulation and one of them in overtime.
For the game, the Bobcats recorded 23 shots compared to 22 for the Colonials.
"We're still undefeated, that's the positive, and we're still undefeated in Conference play, that's another positive," Da Costa said. "But the ties are starting to pile up and we lost two points today instead of gaining a maximum of three. So we'll take the one point but we're not happy about it, by any means."
Nunes, Pelicaen fuel victory over Catamounts
By Robin Schuppert
Junior Nick Pelicaen and senior Kevin Nunes each scored for the Bobcats in the men's soccer team's 2-1 home victory over the Vermont Catamounts on Saturday afternoon. Quinnipiac remains undefeated on the young season with a record of 3-0-4. The loss drops the Catamounts to 0-5-3.
"This is the second time that we've been undefeated going into our conference schedule in the last few years, but this year it means more to us than it did in 2007 because every single player has contributed," Quinnipiac head coach Eric Da Costa said. "We didn't deal with the adversity in 2007 that we had to deal with today. This is a winning program and these guys want to win. They know what it takes to win, and they refuse to lose."
Two different players especially stepped up on Saturday. After a scoreless first half, Pelicaen put the Bobcats on the board 11 minutes into the second half on a give-and-go play with Nunes. Pelicaen had the ball at the top-right corner of the 18-yard box, passed it to Nunes who one touched it back to Pelicaen. Pelicaen took one dribble inside the box and then beat goalkeeper Tom Critz by pounding the ball into the lower-left corner. It was his first goal of the season.
The same duo hooked up again four minutes later. This time Pelicaen crossed a ball from the right side that went through the Vermont defense. Nunes came charging from behind, picked up the ball, took two dribbles and beat the goalie on the lower-left corner of the net for his first career goal.
"At this point we were already up 1-0 so we didn't want to push up too high," Nunes said. "We got the ball deep into [Pelicaen] and he was about to play a ball across so I decided to give it a chance. He played an excellent ball in, which I thought Tim Quigley was going to get on to. He let that go and that put me right in front of the goal wide open. It was nice and easy. Nick and [Quigley] did the hard part."
Catamount forward Matt Hennessy gave his team a chance to come back by scoring with 10 minutes left in regulation. After receiving a pass from T.J. Gore, Hennessy dribbled around one defender, and then beat goalkeeper Freddy Hall with a shot into the top-left corner. The goal in the 80th minute made the Bobcats clamp down defensively in the final 10 minutes to hang on to the victory.
"This has been my fourth year here, and I don't think it's ever been as high as it is now," Nunes said of the team's camaraderie. "I think part of that is the fact that we have so many guys stepping up and contributing, and I think that's definitely going to help us in the Conference, which is our ultimate goal."
Nunes became the eighth different Bobcat to score a goal and the fourth player to record an assist this season.
Hall finished the game with five saves, three of which came in the second half. His counterpart, Critz, finished with three saves for Vermont, with only one coming in the second half.
The Bobcats return to action on Friday, October 2, when they begin Conference play and take on Robert Morris. Kickoff at the Quinnipiac Soccer Field is set for 3 P.M.
Junior Nick Pelicaen and senior Kevin Nunes each scored for the Bobcats in the men's soccer team's 2-1 home victory over the Vermont Catamounts on Saturday afternoon. Quinnipiac remains undefeated on the young season with a record of 3-0-4. The loss drops the Catamounts to 0-5-3.
"This is the second time that we've been undefeated going into our conference schedule in the last few years, but this year it means more to us than it did in 2007 because every single player has contributed," Quinnipiac head coach Eric Da Costa said. "We didn't deal with the adversity in 2007 that we had to deal with today. This is a winning program and these guys want to win. They know what it takes to win, and they refuse to lose."
Two different players especially stepped up on Saturday. After a scoreless first half, Pelicaen put the Bobcats on the board 11 minutes into the second half on a give-and-go play with Nunes. Pelicaen had the ball at the top-right corner of the 18-yard box, passed it to Nunes who one touched it back to Pelicaen. Pelicaen took one dribble inside the box and then beat goalkeeper Tom Critz by pounding the ball into the lower-left corner. It was his first goal of the season.
The same duo hooked up again four minutes later. This time Pelicaen crossed a ball from the right side that went through the Vermont defense. Nunes came charging from behind, picked up the ball, took two dribbles and beat the goalie on the lower-left corner of the net for his first career goal.
"At this point we were already up 1-0 so we didn't want to push up too high," Nunes said. "We got the ball deep into [Pelicaen] and he was about to play a ball across so I decided to give it a chance. He played an excellent ball in, which I thought Tim Quigley was going to get on to. He let that go and that put me right in front of the goal wide open. It was nice and easy. Nick and [Quigley] did the hard part."
Catamount forward Matt Hennessy gave his team a chance to come back by scoring with 10 minutes left in regulation. After receiving a pass from T.J. Gore, Hennessy dribbled around one defender, and then beat goalkeeper Freddy Hall with a shot into the top-left corner. The goal in the 80th minute made the Bobcats clamp down defensively in the final 10 minutes to hang on to the victory.
"This has been my fourth year here, and I don't think it's ever been as high as it is now," Nunes said of the team's camaraderie. "I think part of that is the fact that we have so many guys stepping up and contributing, and I think that's definitely going to help us in the Conference, which is our ultimate goal."
Nunes became the eighth different Bobcat to score a goal and the fourth player to record an assist this season.
Hall finished the game with five saves, three of which came in the second half. His counterpart, Critz, finished with three saves for Vermont, with only one coming in the second half.
The Bobcats return to action on Friday, October 2, when they begin Conference play and take on Robert Morris. Kickoff at the Quinnipiac Soccer Field is set for 3 P.M.
Lady Bobcats win first match of the season
By Robin Schuppert
The Quinnipiac volleyball team won its first match of the season on Sunday afternoon, beating St. Francis (N.Y.) in straight sets at Burt Kahn Court. They took the first set 25-21, before coming from behind and winning the second and third sets 25-23.
Sophomore Kayla Lawler led the Bobcats with a season-high 40 assists, and sophomore Kelby Carey had a career-high 16 kills to lead their team to victory. The win in their home- and conference-opener pushed the Bobcats record to 1-10 (1-0 Northeast Conference), while the Terriers fell to 0-7 (0-1 NEC).
"We're in first place in conference," Bobcats head coach Robin Sparks said. "We are still an incredibly young team, so when it gets on the line, everybody needs to work together. You can't do it one-on-one. We've been trying to do it individually, but today I think they finally pulled together and did it as a group."
The Bobcats took the first set in a controlling manner. They jumped out to an early 9-5 lead on three straight serves by freshman libero Logan Riker. She ended the game with 10 digs, and a teamhigh three aces. The Bobcats wouldn't let their early four-point lead slip away, and won the first set 25-21.
The second set proved to be a bit more challenging for the Bobcats. The Terriers jumped out to a 19-14 lead, forcing Coach Sparks to take a timeout. Coming out of the huddle, a kill by freshman Chelsey Pachoud and a Terriers' error forced the guests to take a timeout. Pachoud once again came out of the huddle with a kill, and the Bobcats were now only down 19-17.
Pachoud then dazzled with strong defense, recording a team-high 11 digs and two blocks, as well as 12 kills, helping the Bobcats in their comeback effort. With the score tied at 23, Riker served two aces in a row to take the second set.
The third set saw much of the same. The Terriers took a 14-10 lead before the Bobcats eventually tied it up at 18 and forced another timeout. Coming out of this timeout, Alyssa Naylor recorded two straight kills to give the Bobcats the lead for good, 20-18. Naylor finished the game with 11 kills and a .588 hitting percentage. A few rallies later, a kill by Carey gave the Bobcats its first match point, and Pachoud then tipped a ball for the game-winning kill.
After the game, Carey talked about the success coming out of the timeouts.
"She (coach) told us to just play hard, and that it was our game," Carey said. "So we went out there and did our thing."
The Bobcats return to action on Wednesday, September 23rd when they take on interstate rival Central Connecticut State in a NEC conference match. The opening serve is set for 7 P.M.at Detrick gym in New Britain, CT.
The Quinnipiac volleyball team won its first match of the season on Sunday afternoon, beating St. Francis (N.Y.) in straight sets at Burt Kahn Court. They took the first set 25-21, before coming from behind and winning the second and third sets 25-23.
Sophomore Kayla Lawler led the Bobcats with a season-high 40 assists, and sophomore Kelby Carey had a career-high 16 kills to lead their team to victory. The win in their home- and conference-opener pushed the Bobcats record to 1-10 (1-0 Northeast Conference), while the Terriers fell to 0-7 (0-1 NEC).
"We're in first place in conference," Bobcats head coach Robin Sparks said. "We are still an incredibly young team, so when it gets on the line, everybody needs to work together. You can't do it one-on-one. We've been trying to do it individually, but today I think they finally pulled together and did it as a group."
The Bobcats took the first set in a controlling manner. They jumped out to an early 9-5 lead on three straight serves by freshman libero Logan Riker. She ended the game with 10 digs, and a teamhigh three aces. The Bobcats wouldn't let their early four-point lead slip away, and won the first set 25-21.
The second set proved to be a bit more challenging for the Bobcats. The Terriers jumped out to a 19-14 lead, forcing Coach Sparks to take a timeout. Coming out of the huddle, a kill by freshman Chelsey Pachoud and a Terriers' error forced the guests to take a timeout. Pachoud once again came out of the huddle with a kill, and the Bobcats were now only down 19-17.
Pachoud then dazzled with strong defense, recording a team-high 11 digs and two blocks, as well as 12 kills, helping the Bobcats in their comeback effort. With the score tied at 23, Riker served two aces in a row to take the second set.
The third set saw much of the same. The Terriers took a 14-10 lead before the Bobcats eventually tied it up at 18 and forced another timeout. Coming out of this timeout, Alyssa Naylor recorded two straight kills to give the Bobcats the lead for good, 20-18. Naylor finished the game with 11 kills and a .588 hitting percentage. A few rallies later, a kill by Carey gave the Bobcats its first match point, and Pachoud then tipped a ball for the game-winning kill.
After the game, Carey talked about the success coming out of the timeouts.
"She (coach) told us to just play hard, and that it was our game," Carey said. "So we went out there and did our thing."
The Bobcats return to action on Wednesday, September 23rd when they take on interstate rival Central Connecticut State in a NEC conference match. The opening serve is set for 7 P.M.at Detrick gym in New Britain, CT.
Bobcats remain undefeated
By Robin Schuppert
The Quinnipiac men's soccer team played the Iona Gaels to a 2-2 tie at the Quinnipiac Soccer Field on Saturday afternoon. Junior Pierre Soubrier and freshman Philip Suprise scored the goals for the Bobcats.
The guests got on the board first with a goal in the sixth minute from Giovanni Destasio. Following a corner, Mario Rios crossed the ball into the box where he fed a wide open Destasio. He beat goalie Freddy Hall with a shot into the lower left corner. The goal given up by Hall was only the second on the season, and ended his 361-minute scoreless streak in net.
It only took six minutes for the Bobcats to tie things up. Soubrier, a defenseman, circled a free kick just outside the 18-yard box around a wall of defenders and into the lower right corner of Iona's goal in the 12th minute. It was Soubrier's first career goal as a Bobcat.
Only four minutes later, the Gael's regained the lead. A long deflected shot from inside the Bobcats half was tipped in the air by Hall. Destasio was the first to recover and pushed the ball over the goal line for his second goal of the game.
Suprise scored his first career goal for the Bobcats in the 40th minute to tie the game up once again. Suprise chased down a long pass, split two defenders, ran inside the box, spun around another defender and ripped a shot off the right crossbar and into the goal for the 2-2 score five minutes before halftime.
"I didn't know how to react at first," Suprise said. "It was very surreal. Once I saw the referee point to the middle of the circle I savored the moment and hugged all my teammates."
Bobcats head coach Eric Da Costa has been satisfied with the play of his freshmen early on in the season.
"We have a lot of confidence in our young players," Da Costa said. "We're putting them into situations where they have to perform. We're looking for them to deal with the pressure and they handled it pretty well today."
The second half featured 10 shots by Iona and eight by the Bobcats, but none of them found the back of the net.
The best chance for the Bobcats to win the game came with 25 seconds left, as Durval Pereira Jr. fed Suprise just inside the box for an open look. The shot went wide, and the two teams went into overtime.
With the sudden death system at hand, no team took advantage of the two 10-minute overtime periods, and the game ended in a 2-2 tie.
For the game, Hall finished with seven saves, while his counterpart, Nils Binstock, finished with five saves for Iona.
The Bobcats are now 2-0-3 on the young season, and have five games remaining on their current six-game homestand.
The Bobcats return to action on Wednesday, the 23rd of September when they take on Stony Brook in a non-conference matchup. Kickoff is scheduled for 4 P.M.
The Quinnipiac men's soccer team played the Iona Gaels to a 2-2 tie at the Quinnipiac Soccer Field on Saturday afternoon. Junior Pierre Soubrier and freshman Philip Suprise scored the goals for the Bobcats.
The guests got on the board first with a goal in the sixth minute from Giovanni Destasio. Following a corner, Mario Rios crossed the ball into the box where he fed a wide open Destasio. He beat goalie Freddy Hall with a shot into the lower left corner. The goal given up by Hall was only the second on the season, and ended his 361-minute scoreless streak in net.
It only took six minutes for the Bobcats to tie things up. Soubrier, a defenseman, circled a free kick just outside the 18-yard box around a wall of defenders and into the lower right corner of Iona's goal in the 12th minute. It was Soubrier's first career goal as a Bobcat.
Only four minutes later, the Gael's regained the lead. A long deflected shot from inside the Bobcats half was tipped in the air by Hall. Destasio was the first to recover and pushed the ball over the goal line for his second goal of the game.
Suprise scored his first career goal for the Bobcats in the 40th minute to tie the game up once again. Suprise chased down a long pass, split two defenders, ran inside the box, spun around another defender and ripped a shot off the right crossbar and into the goal for the 2-2 score five minutes before halftime.
"I didn't know how to react at first," Suprise said. "It was very surreal. Once I saw the referee point to the middle of the circle I savored the moment and hugged all my teammates."
Bobcats head coach Eric Da Costa has been satisfied with the play of his freshmen early on in the season.
"We have a lot of confidence in our young players," Da Costa said. "We're putting them into situations where they have to perform. We're looking for them to deal with the pressure and they handled it pretty well today."
The second half featured 10 shots by Iona and eight by the Bobcats, but none of them found the back of the net.
The best chance for the Bobcats to win the game came with 25 seconds left, as Durval Pereira Jr. fed Suprise just inside the box for an open look. The shot went wide, and the two teams went into overtime.
With the sudden death system at hand, no team took advantage of the two 10-minute overtime periods, and the game ended in a 2-2 tie.
For the game, Hall finished with seven saves, while his counterpart, Nils Binstock, finished with five saves for Iona.
The Bobcats are now 2-0-3 on the young season, and have five games remaining on their current six-game homestand.
The Bobcats return to action on Wednesday, the 23rd of September when they take on Stony Brook in a non-conference matchup. Kickoff is scheduled for 4 P.M.
