The box score does not always tell the story in sports.
Despite dominating the offensive stats and having 22 more shots, Marist women’s soccer came away with a 2-2 draw against St. Bonaventure in their opening game of the 2022 season at Tenney Stadium on Thursday night.
Marist started the game with an unexpected lineup that featured only five starters that started a game last season. The lineup did not include All-MAAC Preseason junior midfielder Amanda Caldarelli, senior forward Brooke Cergol, or junior forward/midfielder Bridget Dudziec.
However, the new lineup did not slow the Red Foxes down, as the newcomers came out ready to play in the first half. Marist utilized a high press that allowed them to win the ball back quickly and start their offense. The Red Foxes were in attack mode as they controlled the majority of the possession. Fifth-year transfer forward from Notre Dame Nicole Colantuono provided a spark for the Red Foxes in the first half as she created chances for her team. In the 10th minute, Colantuono found freshman forward Anna Maggi, who skied a shot over the goal.
Marist quickly created another chance in the 11th minute when junior forward Grace DiVincenzo had a cross to Colantuono, who fired a header into the arms of St. Bonaventure sophomore goalkeeper Chiara Gottinger. Colantuono showed signs that she can be an impact player offensively for Marist this season. The Red Foxes struggled to find that final ball or touch needed to find the back of the net in the half. Despite dominating the shots category with a 15-2 advantage, Marist was unable to produce a goal. The Red Foxes entered the half tied 0-0.
The Red Foxes came out aggressive in the second half as sophomore midfielder Autumn Smith fired a shot to the upper right corner that was saved by Gottinger. Marist would find the breakthrough goal in the 53rd minute as DiVincenzo sent in a cross that found the head of Colantuono, who placed her header into the bottom left corner by the outstretched arms of Gottinger for her first career collegiate goal. The goal came on Marist’s 18th shot of the game.
St. Bonaventure quickly responded in the 57th minute as freshman forward Ami Komori caught the Red Fox defense napping with a flick into the net after senior midfielder Christine Napoli sent a through ball over the Marist defense. The Red Foxes once again lost focus in the 64th minute, and St. Bonaventure took advantage with a goal from graduate student forward Cristina Torres. Marist was caught in the offside trap, and senior defender Kenzie Tarmino found Torres all alone in the box for an easy finish to the far post. Marist quickly found themselves down 2-1.
After losing their momentum, the Red Foxes worked their way back into the game and continued creating chances. In the 75th minute, junior forward Samantha Caldarelli (not to be confused with her twin, Amanda) took matters into her own hands as she cut it inside on the wing to lose her defender before firing a shot into the bottom right corner. The goal was the first of Caldarelli’s career, and it came at an important time for the Red Foxes.
Both teams played conservatively in the final ten minutes and settled for the draw. The NCAA’s new overtime rule ended the game after 90 minutes as there are no more overtimes in regular season play. The draw is a solid start to the season for Marist, considering they started 0-2 last season. There are positives that Marist can build on moving forward, and they are only going to improve as time goes on.
Marist will look to clean up their mistakes as they aim for their first win on Sunday, August 21, when they host Drexel at 1 P.M.
Edited by Jonathan Kinane
Photo from Bridget Reilly for Center Field