Women’s soccer comes from behind for overtime win
The Saint Joseph’s University women’s soccer team (3-1-1) completed a comeback 4-3 overtime victory against Towson University on Sept. 3.
The Tigers scored first when junior McKenzie McCaull chipped a shot into the Hawks’ net for an early 1-0 lead, but St. Joe’s retaliated with a goal of their own in the 22nd minute. Junior Hannah Racis headed a corner kick from fellow junior, defender Paige Bergman into the back of the net to tie the game at 1-1.
Before the close of the first half, Towson scored again when senior Maddie Bové kicked the ball past a diving goalkeeper. The second half had just begun when junior Sarah Quick scored again for the Tigers to expand their lead to 3-1.
At that point, the Hawks’ Head Coach Jess Mannella decided it was time for some adjustments.
“We were playing really aggressive when we were down 3-1 with like 20 minutes left in the game,” Mannella said. “We put three up top and three in the back and just went for it.”
Mannella credits the adjustment to a shift in momentum.
“The momentum definitely changed our way because of the numbers and then we pressed and pressed and pressed, but then once we scored we went back to our formation,” Mannella said. “We played a safer formation, but then the energy changed, so we still had the momentum from that energy change and we still were pressing a little bit better.”
Then, the comeback began.
Hawks’ freshman Morgan Bower took a pass from Racis in the 76th minute and scored to cut the deficit to one. It was the first of her career and made the Hawks the first team to score more than one goal against the Towson defense this season. However, time was running out for the Hawks, who still trailed 3-2. In the final three minutes, sophomore forward Gabrielle Vagnozzi blasted a shot from the top of the 18-yard box to tie the game up at three goals apiece.
In the 92nd minute, Bergman found the top right shelf on a corner kick on their first offensive possession and ended the game, allowing the Hawks to walk off with a 4-3 win.
This game-winning goal was the second to come from a corner kick for St. Joe’s.
“Her [Bergman’s] corners are always so dangerous,” Mannella said. “We scored off of two of them and one Paige [Bergman] scored herself. The other one was an assist from Paige [Bergman].”
The Hawks are planning for when they play next at Ohio State University at 1 p.m. on Sept. 10.
“We want to sharpen up our defending,” Mannella said in reference to the upcoming game against the Buckeyes. “We’re going to be playing against probably a much more athletic team and a very dangerous attack and defense all around. They’re always tough.”
Mannella is adamant, though, that the Hawks will be competitive.
“We put them on the schedule because we believe we’re good enough to play with them,” Mannella said. “We just have to sharpen all week defensively so that when we score a goal, then that’s all we need.”
