HAMDEN, Connecticut – Senior goalkeeper
Natalie Kelchner made eight saves, including a penalty kick stop in overtime, but Quinnipiac scored in the 105th minute during double overtime to defeat Marist 1-0 on Saturday afternoon at the Quinnipiac Soccer & Lacrosse Stadium.
The Red Foxes sustain their first loss in MAAC play this year, moving to 2-1-1 in conference and 3-3-2 overall. The Bobcats boost their MAAC record to 2-1, and are now 7-2 in 2021.
Both sides grinded out a scoreless 90 minutes in regulation, but Quinnipiac's best chance came in the 99th minute when the home team was awarded a penalty kick. Selena Salas took the kick, hesitating before sending it to the left of the goal, but Kelchner read it perfectly and deflected it to the left corner of the pitch.
In the second overtime period, however, Salas picked off Marist at midfield and sent a through ball to Rebecca Cooke, who dribbled past a diving Kelchner at the top of the box and booted the ball into the empty net to seal the win.
Seven different Red Foxes had shots on the day, while two of their shots on goal came from sophomore forwards
Grace DiVincenzo and
Bridget Dudziec off the bench.
Cooke led all players with four shots, three of which were on goal. Sofia Lospinoso tallied three saves between the pipes.
- Quinnipiac quickly rattled off three shots and four corner kicks in the first 2:37 of the game.
- Marist got their chances at the 10-minute mark. Sophomore midfielder Amanda Caldarelli lofted a shot over the upper-right corner, then senior forward Kaylin Sperley was denied in front by Lospinoso.
- The Bobcats countered in the 11th minute, gaining a free kick that Olivia Scott used to rip a shot close to midfield, but Kelchner gobbled it up for her first save.
- After Kelchner snagged a scissor-kick chance from Markela Bejleri, the Red Foxes countered with a threat from Dudziec, but she was flagged offside in the 23rd minute.
- In the 35th minute, after Barbieri had a shot blocked, Marist regained control for a Sperley cross, but Lospinoso intercepted it.
- Marist picked off Quinnipiac in the former's own end, and Dudziec lead a counter down the right sideline in the 51st minute. Her end line shot went into Lospinoso's mitts.
- In the 58th minute, Cooke had a beat past the Red Fox defense, but she was waved offside. Her shot pinged off the far post anyway.
- The Bobcats threatened in the 70th minute with the ball inside Marist's box, but the Red Foxes cleared it out with only a blocked shot on Quinnipiac's ledger.
- Moments later, Courtney Chochol secured a turnover and tried to tuck a shot into the left post, but it hit the woodwork. Her next attempt from the left side of the box was tipped up by Kelchner and collected.
- Kelchner made one more save on Salas in the 83rd minute to close the action in the frame.
- Quinnipiac's Emily Loney dashed down the left side in the 95th minute, but Marist's defense caught up to her to block the shot. Kelchner punched out the Bobcats' ensuing corner.
- In the 99th minute, the Red Foxes couldn't clear out of their own end, leaving Gretchen Kron to collect the ball and whip a 20-yard shot into Kelchner's breadbasket.
- Quinnipiac had the edge in shots (19-7) and shots on goal (9-3). The Red Foxes did not register a shot in overtime.
- The Bobcats generated nine corner kicks to Marist's one.
- Six Red Foxes played the full 105 minutes: Kelchner, Caldarelli, junior captain Samantha Sturno, and fellow defenders Britt Van Lenten, Riley Abate, and Deanna Lomino.
- Twenty Red Foxes saw time on the pitch.
- Kelchner now has five games this year with five or more saves.
- The Red Fox defense has not allowed a first-half goal in five consecutive games, and have allowed just one goal in the last 331 regulation minutes.
- Juniors Melina Serrao and Sydney Dydensborg made their season debuts off the bench.
- The loss is Marist's first since August 26th, snapping a five-game unbeaten streak.
- Quinnipiac has now won the last three matches in the rivalry.
- Marist travels to Iona on Wednesday, October 6th at 3 p.m.
