The Marist Red Foxes (3-10-2, 3-6-2 MAAC Conference) dropped a crucial game to Rider (4-9-3, 3-6-2 MAAC), falling 1-0 after a gut-wrenching first half goal.
Despite the Red Foxes leading in shots fourteen to five and corner kicks twelve to two, the Broncs delivered a blow to Marist in the 28th minute with junior midfielder Margret Fridriksson being credited for the goal.
The Red Foxes honored their senior class before the match started, with all the seniors and graduate students walking out with their family members. The graduate student class includes midfielder/forward Maille McDermott, defender/midfielder Keegan Mayer and forward Sofia Cassano. Midfielder Autumn Smith, midfielder/forward Lauryn Schmidt, forward Christina Layden and defender Bella Lazzaro represented the senior class for Marist.
“Keegan and Maille came in and have made a huge difference,” head coach Nicole Pacapelli said. “Maille of course scored a lot of goals and Keegan has just been instrumental with leadership in our back line. Of course the seniors, while I’ve only had them for two years, over the course of their four years here have been super committed to the program and giving everything they had to us and I can’t thank them enough for that.”
The Red Foxes found one of their many corner kicks in the ninth minute, this one eventually finding junior midfielder Olivia Lindsay. Lindsay got a clean foot on it but missed high, giving the Broncs a goal kick.
Marist had a great chance at the 15th minute as Lindsay sent a through ball to freshman forward Gabby Tirado inside the right part of the box. Tirado had a solid look on net but drove it right into the hands of graduate student goalkeeper Ellie Sciancalepore for the save.
Rider struck first as freshman forward Tess Ferrie sent in a cross which found junior midfielder Margret Fridriksson on the far right post. Fridriksson got a head on it but was not able to put it on net. The ball spinned in front of the goal and freshman defender Jane Brooks attempted to clear it, but the ball found the side of her foot and went into the net; handing Rider a 1-0 advantage in the first half.
Marist was constantly knocking on the door after the goal from the Broncs, finding themselves with another corner kick and a strong shot on net from midfielder/defender Julia Lonchar in the 36th minute, but the Rider goalkeeper Sciancalepore was right there to make the save to keep the Broncs lead.
Rider looked to strike again with just two minutes remaining in the first half as Fridriksson had a go at it from outside the box, looking to go at the top left part of the net. Junior goalkeeper Maddy Catalanotti made an all-out diving save to keep the game 1-0.
The Red Foxes were awarded with one more corner kick at the 44th minute but were not able to make much of it and brought us to halftime. Marist found themselves down in a half where they led in shots seven to three and corner kicks four to two.
Marist spent nearly the entire second half in Rider territory, creating four corner kicks within the first eleven minutes of the second half, but failed to pose any real threat on any of the attempts.
On the Red Foxes’ ninth corner kick of the game at the 67th minute, Mayer found the ball and put a high shot on net that ricochet off the crossbar and back outside of the box. Lindsay then delivered another shot that appeared to deflect off a Rider player. The Broncs would eventually clear it out of bounds, ending one of the better opportunities of the game for the Red Foxes. The Marist sidelines pleaded with the referees to check for a potential handball in the box, but even after the review it was determined to be incidental contact.
“They [the referees] just said that it was a hand ball, but her hand was in a normal position,” said Pacapelli.
Sophomore forward Delia Hahn took the twelfth corner kick of the game for Marist and put it right in front of the net, but Sciancalepore came out and punched it away. Lindsay later delivered a shot on net, but Sciancalepore once again came out of net, deflecting the ball away to end the chance for the Red Foxes.
Marist had a free kick that Lazzaro took on the far left side of the field. A few headers inside the box led to one of them being on net by freshman defender/midfielder Sophia Dorsey, but Sciancalepore was right there to jump up and make the save at the 86th minute.
“Honestly I thought we did well in moments,” Pacapelli said. “The first half we really struggled more in possessions and connecting passes. We still created chances but they weren’t necessarily quality. I thought in the second half we were able to string a lot more passes together and create a lot more opportunities. But at the end of the day that doesn’t win you games, so we still have to find a way to have that hunger around the eighteen to score a goal.”
In the final minute of the match, junior forward Anna Maggi sent in a cross to Lindsay who headed it over to Schmidt. Schmidt was able to get a foot on it, but missed just left of the net. A last second corner kick attempt for the Red Foxes did not end in a miracle goal, ending the match with Marist dropping a crucial one and making their final match against Siena a must win game.
“I mean there is nothing else to do but reset,” said Pacapelli. “We have to turn around and win the game on Wednesday if we want any shot at making the MAAC tournament, which I do think the group deserves but at the same time we’re also very young. We have a whole haul of freshmen in our starting lineup and they need that experience that they are gaining on the field right now. It could take a little bit of time, but we have obviously a good group that I’m proud of.”
The Red Foxes now sit in 11th place with 11 points in the MAAC standings, meaning they will need to not only beat Siena, but also get help from other teams if they want to make the MAAC Championships.
The match in Siena will take place on Wednesday, October 30th at 3 p.m.
Edited by Hayden Shapiro
Photo by Jaylen Rizzo
Graphic by Victoria Guardino
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