The Red Foxes looked to keep the momentum going on their Senior Night against Manhattan College at Tenney Stadium.
Coming off a 2-0 win at Saint Peter’s, the Marist women kicked off following the senior night ceremony. The Red Foxes paid special homage to each of the six
The stadium, especially crowded on this game day, roared from the start of the contest. The foxes, fueled by this energy, started the game on the offensive; the best way to kick off senior night.
The Marist offense kept the Jasper defense occupied, tantalizing defenders with connecting passes, but couldn’t work up enough of an attack to worry the opposing keeper. Marist freshman forward, Kaylin Sperley, spent much of the first half collecting passes from her midfield, continuously trying to open the scoring.
A corner kick from the Foxes sent a flurry of shots towards the net, forcing the Jasper defense to rise to the challenge. The sequences resulted in a save made by Manhattan’s final defender.
The Jasper offense started to build more momentum as the first half wore on, however the opportunities created were trivial to the Red Foxes. Marist freshman defender, Riley Abate, made multiple key stops to keep the Manhattan offense at bay, while freshman midfielder Kristen Prevosto provided much of the creativity to get the ball into Jasper territory.
Prevosto was subbed out for freshman Abby Murphy, a key player in the contest, after attempting to play through what looked to be like a knee injury.
The first half concluded with a costly turnover for the Foxes. After being batted around in front of the Marist goal, the ball found its way to the back of the net off the foot of Jasper forward Tia Painilainen.
The 1-0 score didn’t seem to accurately describe a dominate first half for the Red Foxes, but the inspired Marist squad looked on positively towards the second half.
With only nine minutes gone of the 45, the Red Foxes earned a penalty kicked.
Sperley lined up to take the kick. The Marist forward shot low to the left corner only for the ball to be met by the outstretched arm of the sprawling Manhattan keeper.
The save sent the Jasper faithful’s in attendance shouting with joy; a momentum shift not welcomed by the Foxes. The Jaspers almost doubled their lead as a rebound shot rang against the crossbar. Freshman goalie, Natalie Kelchner and the defense were lucky to have not conceded for a second time.
Kelchner would have a busy second half deflecting shots. Manhattan picked up the pace on offense with 30 minutes left to play.
The Red Foxes weren’t done fighting, continuing to press forward in hopes to draw even.
16 minutes remained and the score still sat in favor of the Jaspers. As the match dwindled towards its conclusion, the Red Foxes felt the urgency to break through.
The fans sat eager, desperate for a reason to celebrate. Just as time was running out, Marist had hope; another penalty kick.
The keeper again sprawled to her right and again made a save. This time, however, the Red Foxes were ready for the rebound. With just over a minute remaining, Murphy had the touch to tie it up.
“I wanted to leave the last game at Tenney [Stadium] for the seniors with a win”, Murphy said of her efforts on the field.
Tenney Stadium erupted with excitement for a chance to win the game in extra time for their seniors.
With extra time came new life for the Foxes, who were seemingly revitalized by Murphy’s late game heroics. Marist’s aggressive offense kept testing Jasper defense, unrelentingly dissecting their opponents. Marist freshman forward Victoria Colatosti shot twice on goal, being denied on both occasions.
Although controlled heavily by the Foxes, the first leg of overtime came and went without a goal.
Marist continued to be the better overtime team as the second half got under way. They stifled the Manhattan attack while keeping the pressure on the defense.
On a cross from Abate enabled the Foxes to climb all the way back and complete the victory. Again, Murphy was the hero.
Abate streaked up the left side of the field, dodged a Jasper, and sent in a perfect ball. The pass found the head of Murphy and hit the back of the net.
On a night dedicated to their seniors, Marist was able to mount a stunning comeback, “In this game, in many ways we were trying to honor the seniors and honor the legacy they have left on this program,” Coach Leigh Howard said of the special night. “The fight that we had, and the way were able to stick together for 90 plus minutes is a true testament to the way they’ve stuck together for the past four years” she added.
The Foxes look to extend their win streak to three as they close out the regular season this Wednesday against Canisius.
Edited by Bridget Reilly
Featured Image by Marist Athletics