Only scoring twice in their first five games, Marist (0-4-1, 1-0 MAAC Conference) showed a resurgence on offense, matching their goal total on the season after a 2-0 victory in their MAAC opener to St. Peter’s (3-2, 0-1 MAAC), the team’s first win at Tenney Stadium since October 2022.
Leading the way on goals, senior midfielder/forward Lauryn Schmidt and graduate student midfield/forward Maille McDermott fed the net on offense, outshooting St. Peter’s 13-12 (7-5 with shots on goal).
Even with Marist’s aggressive playstyle–a noteworthy 23 fouls to St. Peter’s 13–Marist controlled tempo on offense to pick effective shots out within the St. Peter’s box.
Coming off a 5-0 blowout against Delaware State University, the Peacocks started scoring tries as early as the seventh minute. Graduate student midfielder Kiana Tulloch snuck behind the defense, but junior goalkeeper Maddy Catalanotti came up for the save. The Marist goalie finished with five saves and a clean sheet, her second of the season.
Another corner came for Saint Peter’s just 12 minutes into the game, one sent in from senior midfielder Lula Mansilla Medina. Catalanotti came up to deflect the ball, but it remained in the box for a shot off the foot of St. Peter’s sophomore defender/midfielder Wilma Thodlana, blocked yet again by the Red Fox goalkeeper.
Marist found their first true opportunity at the 17th minute. Freshman defender/midfielder Sophia DeJoia sent in a cross that graduate student midfield/forward Maille McDermott got two shots on, but Peacocks goalkeeper Annabelle Adams positioned well for the ball with effortless saves to prevent early danger.
The Peacocks had their fourth corner kick of the game in the 19th minute, one that led to a shot for freshman forward Heidi Miles who missed just high off the crossbar.
Marist had another chance at the 22nd minute where McDermott found herself inside the 18 with Adams standing in her way. McDermott missed a shot just wide left, and the Red Foxes applied pressure for another two minutes before the back-and-forth action resumed.
In the 26th minute, freshman midfielder/forward Gabby Tirado put a solid free-kick shot on the net, but a deflection and another smooth save by Adams prevented any threats.
After plenty of back-and-forth play, Marist found themselves with 11 fouls at this point to Saint Peter’s six in a physical first half, showing the aggressive playstyle that kept them even on the pitch.
The Red Foxes found a corner kick in the 43rd minute sent in by sophomore forward Delia Hahn. The ball got past Adams, leading to a sitting duck in front of the net for senior midfielder/forward Lauryn Schmidt, which she put away into the back of the net giving Marist a 1-0 lead.
Marist continued to apply pressure the rest of the half, and despite the 1-0 lead, both teams looked evenly matched throughout the first 45 minutes.
Already with a goal, the Red Foxes came out firing in the second half, staying on Saint Peter’s half for the first two minutes and getting a couple of shots, both of which Adams corralled without breaking a sweat.
Marist continued that push in the 52nd minute of the game with freshman defender/midfielder Sophia Dorsey getting a head on the corner ball sent in by Mayer, missing just over the crossbar.
Opportunities kept arriving in the second half for the Red Foxes and at the 62nd minute, junior forward Miya Reid put a shot on net but Adams was able to make a great diving save on the ball to keep the score the same. In the 65th, Mayer sent in a beautiful pass to McDermott, her header missing just high over the net.
Awarded another free kick in the 71st, the ball ricocheted in the box, and the Red Foxes took control and fed a pass to junior midfielder Olivia Lindsay. Spinning around for a powerful ground cross right through the legs of the defender, the ball fed perfectly to McDermott’s left foot for Marist’s second goal of the game and McDermott’s third of the season, continuing a strong start to the season with her new squad.
“Credit goes to the team,” McDermott said. “It’s just felt like family and playing when you know that you have your family behind your back makes everything so much easier.”
In the 72nd minute of what had been a highly physical game, Dorsey was given her second yellow card of the game on a hard collision tackle, a costly mistake forcing Marist to play down a player the rest of the way.
Marist did not back down after the red card, with junior midfielder/forward Jillian Garcia getting a shot on net in the 76th minute, saved once again by Adams.
The Red Foxes continued to milk the clock away with no real chances for the Peacocks other than an 84th-minute corner they failed to capitalize on. Despite being a player down, the Red Foxes successfully outplayed St. Peter’s on the physical front down the stretch.
“That’s the MAAC,” coach Nicole Pacapelli said. “It’s a gritty conference, credit to Saint Peter’s that’s how they play, but I think for us this year, we’re just that much more competitive with it so we can give it back.”
After the sluggish start on offense to start the season, the last two games have shown what the Red Foxes are capable of on that side of the field.
“We’ve definitely made some switches,” McDermott said. “We’ve pushed me and Liv [Olivia Lindsay] higher up the field which I think has helped us a lot and has made us more dangerous in having more numbers in the box.”
Feeding off a statement win, Marist will look to continue to build off their first victory of the season in their next match at Sacred Heart on Saturday at 7 p.m.
Edited by Dan Aulbach
Graphic Credit: Victoria Guardino
Photo Credit: Kira Crutcher
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