In a defensive battle at Tenney Stadium, the Marist Red Foxes and the Siena Saints drew 1-1 on Saturday afternoon.
Marist’s young team put on a strong defensive press against the veteran Siena squad, holding the Saints to one shot on goal in the first half.
The Red Foxes have not beaten Siena since 2019, with the Saints defeating the Red Foxes in each season besides 2022, when the two teams tied. Last season, the Saints finished second in shots with 313 total shots (7.45 SOG/G), while Marist finished with 167 shots (4.47 SOG/G).
Senior captain goalkeeper Maddy Catalanotti ended the game with eight saves on the Saints’ nine shots on goal. Coming into Saturday’s matchup, the Saints sat at 0-1 in MAAC play after falling to Sacred Heart at home by one.
Marist struggled to create opportunities in the attacking third, with players making solo runs with no one to feed the ball to.
“We had a little bit of heavy legs throughout the game, and I don’t think we were as explosive in our moments as I would like us to be,” said head coach Nicole Pacapelli Ciano. “Whether that was just general movement off the ball or hard runs into the box.”
Sophomore forward Gabby Tirado created space for herself in the attacking end, but the ball did not find her until the 64th minute.
Fellow sophomore midfielder Giavanna Meservy took the ball to the near corner, crossing the ball along the goalie line, where Tirado put her head on it to get Marist on the board with her second goal of the season.
The Marist defense shut down sophomore midfielder Catherine Rogers, the reigning MAAC Rookie of the Year award winner. Rogers started all 20 games for the Saints in her freshman season, leading the team with eight assists and seven goals, additionally earning herself a spot on the All-MAAC First Team.
“We knew she was going to be one of their best players,” said Pacapelli Ciano. “She honestly rotates as a back all the way up that flank, and we have [senior midfielder/forward] Jill Garcia out there who is just as athletic, and she did a really great job taking care of her and shutting her down. [Sophomore midfielder/defender] Sophia DeJoia too on that side. We had them double-teaming her a little bit, just taking her out of the game as best we could.”
With 12 minutes left in play, Siena got a free kick from 40 yards out. Senior back Sarah Harnett launched the kick into the middle of the box, where Marist senior defender Julia Lonchar attempted to head it out. Instead, sophomore back Natalie Harwood found the ball and headed it to the far corner for her first collegiate goal.
The rest of the play continued with a mix of defensive struggles for both teams. The ball resided in the middle of the field. Sophomore goalkeeper Cate Burns, a Preseason All-MAAC selection, ended the game with a late save.
The Red Foxes now aim to get their first MAAC win next Saturday against the 1-1 Saint Peter’s Peacocks in New Jersey.
Edited by Ben Leeds
Photo by Quinn DiFiore
Graphic by Jaylen Rizzo
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