While students were rocking out at the fall concert, the women’s soccer team was out on the field putting on a show of its own. Lead by freshman Elizabeth Thoreson, sophomore Christine Levering and freshman Jessica Goldman, the Lions were able to overpower an impressive Farmingdale Rams squad, 4-0, on Thursday, Oct. 9.
The first goal of the game came from Thoreson, taking only one minute and 25 seconds to score. After that, the defense didn’t need to worry too much, as the offense was able to keep the ball in the Ram’s zone for a large majority of the first half.
The team had plenty of opportunities in the first half — 11 shots with five corner kicks — but the score stayed the same. Whether it be kicks soaring over the goal or taking to long to make shots, the team couldn’t finish off play after play.
During the halftime talk, Coach Joe Russo discussed what exactly needed to be done if they wanted to make sure their lead stayed.
“We talked about being more determined with our plays and having more attack,” Russo said.
That strategy showed immensely in the second half. The Rams may have started with the ball, but soon after, the Lion’s found themselves in the same situation as the first half, loaded with opportunities. This time, however, the girls took advantage.
First came Levering’s goal off an assist from senior Korrie Harkins late in the 57th minute. Less than three minutes later, Goldman added on another point off a Levering assist.
Then, just over a minute later, Levering shot and went off the crossbar, setting up Thoreson to score off the rebound to net her second goal of the game.
“That’s just soccer,” Thoreson said. “The first half, we had too many missed shots. We just finished in the second.”
The Rams followed those five minutes with several bursts of offense, but the Lions defense kept them at bay, not allowing a single shot on goal against goalie Kendra Griffith. On the other side, the team was able to take a total of 16 shots in the second, making a game total of 27.
Russo was happy the team “finished (their) chances,” noting how the Lions “had them in the first, but (were) much better attacking in the second.”
In a game where the Lions controlled the ball for most of the first half, and even more effectively in the second, Thoreson brought up how the team was still trying to deal with the hard loss to Montclair last week.
“We’re still angry about Montclair. We just wanted to win and prove to everyone that we can still win,” she said.
True to her words, the team continued to show their strength and determination on Saturday, Oct. 11, as they scored another shutout victory, beating New Jersey City University 6-0 on the road. Once again, the girls didn’t allow a single shot on goal against them while taking a game total of 41 shots.
Repeat goals came from Goldman (4:43), Thoreson (6:13) and Levering (13:38), with the other goals coming from junior Justine Larocca (36:03), freshman Hannah Richman (81:35) and Sophomore Marissa Scognamiglio (82:25).
Then, on Thursday Oct. 16, the team gained another victory against Rutgers-Camden at home, with the Scarlet Knights putting up a hard fight.
The 4-0 final came after two back to back goals in the first from freshmen Kathryn Bednarsky (26:16) and Abigail Emmert (29:53). These were followed in the second half with a Goldman goal off a cross (65:57) and a corner kick goal from sophomore Lauren Malajian (87:31).
Finally, the team traveled up I-95 and faced a hungry Ramapo team. The Roadrunners were coming off a 2-1 victory against New Jersey University, and hoped that a win against the Lion’s would kick start a win streak to lift the team’s record.
However, the stellar defense kept them at bay, keeping Ramapo to only five shot attempts. The Lion’s on the other hand we’re able to pick up a goal in each half, ending the game with a 2-0 shutout.
Levering picked up her ninth goal of the season (12:33) and Harkins picked up her fourth off assists from Thoreson and senior Jordan Downs (55:57).
The team is preparing for its next game on Wednesday, Oct. 22, against Steven’s Institute of Technology. The Ducks are coming off a loss against Nazareth College, bringing their overall record to 9-5, and will be looking for a morale boosting and much needed win against the Lion’s.
Russo said that the biggest factor for the Lions’ tough games to come is “imposing our will on our opponents throughout the game.”
