After losing five non-conference games, the young Red Foxes started MAAC play with a historic nine-game unbeaten streak; Manhattan snapped Marist’s streak with a one-goal victory on Wednesday afternoon in the Bronx.
Manhattan senior defender Mayah Wheeler placed the ball in the back of the net in the final ten minutes of play to give Marist their first loss of conference play.
Two major keys to Marist’s success this season have been their discipline on defense and ability to take chances. In the past, the Red Foxes struggled to capitalize on opportunities, finishing last in the MAAC in shots taken during the 2024 season.
15 games into the Red Foxes conference schedule, the team is less than ten shots away from tying their shot total from last year (167).
Manhattan and Marist compete with similar play styles, with an emphasis on off-ball movement and getting every player involved. Unlike the Red Foxes, the Jaspers are an older team with nine of their starting 11 being upperclassmen.
Throughout the game, head coach Nicole Pacapelli Ciano kept a steady rotation of substitutions, continuously placing fresh legs on the pitch to try and create new opportunities around the Jasper defense.
Heading into the second half, Manhattan had outshot Marist 7-3. Two of the Jaspers’ attempts were on target, while junior goalie Molly Brunk remained solid in net, saving all three of the Red Foxes’ shots.
Junior midfielder Olivia McMaster and forward Amaya Hill constantly threatened the Marist defense. The Red Foxes’ backline shut down Hill in the first half, keeping her on the far side of the field.
Hill leads the MAAC in assists and got her ninth of the season against the Red Foxes in the final minutes of play. With 10 minutes left, Manhattan set up a free kick with Hill on the ball and the rest of the Jasper offense stacked inside the box.
Instead of firing the ball over the wall created in the box, Hill placed the ball low on the ground towards the near post; the ball bounced past a diving senior goalie, Maddy Catalanotti. Wheeler found the ball rushing in on the far side and secured the game for the Jaspers and her first goal of the season.
Manhattan’s shutout against Marist gives the Jaspers back line their sixth clean sheet in the team’s past seven games and Brunk’s 18th shutout.
The Manhattan win created a three-way tie for fourth in the MAAC amongst the Red Foxes and Canisius Golden Griffins with 16 points.
Marist is honoring its eight seniors on Saturday’s home game against Canisius; the Golden Griffins head to Poughkeepsie off a one-goal victory over Mount St. Mary’s on Wednesday afternoon, improving their record to 5-7-1 overall (5-3-1 MAAC). Junior midfielder Jessica Whitaker leads the team in points with four goals and two assists, followed by senior forward Mia Iacona with two goals and two assists.
In last year’s matchup, Canisius defeated Marist 3-0 in the Red Foxes’ fifth game of the season away in Buffalo; the Golden Griffins advanced to the semi-finals last year, where they lost to Quinnipiac.
Edited by Ben Leeds
Graphic by Cara Lacey
Photo by Jaylen Rizzo
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