Marist women’s soccer conceded back-to-back penalty kicks in the first half and struggled on offense, losing 3-0 to Canisius and dropping their third-straight game.
Canisius led the shot category 17-10 with both sides having five shots on net, but none of those shots for Marist posed a threat to senior goalkeeper Jordan Spencer.
Though Canisius controlled the ball on the Red Fox half for a majority of the first 15 minutes, they failed to develop any scoring chances. Marist had a couple of shots on the net early, both easy saves for Spencer.
Receiving a free kick in the 26th minute, Spencer made a simple save on a shot from junior midfielder Olivia Lindsay in what appeared to be the best opportunity for the Red Foxes through the contest.
Graduate student midfielder/forward Maille McDermott had been dealing with an injury this week as told on the broadcast, but entered the match for the first time on this play, with Marist needing a boost to their offense.
Canisius cashed in first after being awarded one of their two penalty kicks on the day at the 29th minute. Graduate student defender Alicia Zamora powered one into the back of the net after a foul from junior goalkeeper Maddy Catalanotti attempting to make a play on the ball. She ran into sophomore midfielder Jessica Whitaker, the foul leading to a 1-0 advantage for the Golden Griffins.
Just 24 seconds later, the penalty kick plagued Marist again, as McDermott committed a foul inside the 18 with a corresponding yellow card. Zamora went up and mirrored her first penalty kick, giving Canisius a 2-0 lead.
Other than the two penalty kicks, Marist boasted a solid defense in the first half. Canisius totaled nine shots in the half, but just two were on net [both being the penalty kicks]. The Red Foxes failed to keep possession on runs, making it tough for the defense to withstand pressure from the Golden Griffins. Outside the four shots, the Red Foxes rarely found themselves on that side of the field in the first 45 minutes.
Neither side found opportunities to open up second-half action until the 55th minute, as Catalanotti made a tough diving save off the foot of senior forward Madeline Weltin to keep the score the same.
Weltin had another shot in the 60th minute, this one finding the back of the net as it went just over the leaping try by Catalanotti, extending the lead 3-0. Weltin entered the match having scored seven goals for the Golden Griffins, higher than the cumulative Marist goals this season.
In what was overall a solid showing defensively against a high-powered offense in Canisius, the Red Foxes struggled to get going on the attacking side yet for a third straight match.
Marist will have just two days to prepare before a key home matchup against Merrimack College Saturday at 1 p.m.
Edited by Dan Aulbach
Photo/Graphic by Kira Crutcher
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