HAMDEN, Connecticut – Despite a career-best 13 saves from junior goalkeeper Natalie Kelchner and a goal from freshman midfielder Amanda Caldarelli in her first-career game, Marist Women's Soccer dropped a 3-1 decision to Quinnipiac on Tuesday afternoon at Quinnipiac Soccer & Lacrosse Stadium.
 
The Red Foxes are now 0-1 in MAAC play after playing their first regular season contest in 492 days. The Bobcats start the 2020-21 season 1-0 against conference foes.
 
Caldarelli scored Marist's first goal of the season on a header to the left post, beating Meaghan Phillips in the 38th minute. Sophomore defender Samantha Sturno inserted the preceding corner kick, and senior defender Nicole Sasso headed it to an open Caldarelli from less than 10 yards out.
 
Quinnipiac countered with three goals in the second half, however. After tying the goal within the first 4:05 of the second half, Hannah Reiter gave the Bobcats the lead in the 78th minute on a header past Kelchner. Olivia Scott added an insurance tally less than two minutes later to seal Quinnipiac's victory.
 
Sasso and Sturno were credited with the assists on Caldarelli's goal. Junior forward Victoria Colatosti and freshman defender Chance Hendricks paced the Red Foxes with three shots each.
 
Cooke registered two assists for the Bobcats and had five shots. Fleur Cordier paced all players with six shots.
 

summary

• Kelchner made two quick saves in the first eight minutes, collecting a shot coming from a scrum in the penalty box and a stop on Cooke in front of the right post.
• Marist earned its first corner kick in the 12th minute, an out-swinging ball that finished on top of the net.
• Quinnipiac's Gretchen Kron tried to beat Kelchner on an inside shot, but the junior keeper corralled the ball in the 22nd minute.
• Hendricks recorded Marist's first shot of the contest in the 28th minute, sending a 20-yard opportunity wide left of the goal.
• On a quick free kick with 10 minutes until halftime, Kelchner came down low to snag Kelsey Goldring's attempt.
• Kelchner collected her 10th save of the afternoon by coming out of the net and extending her right leg to deny Paige LaBerge in the 61st minute.
• The Red Foxes almost regained the lead in the 65th minute, when Colatosti's shot was blocked at the top-left corner of the 18-yard box and trickled to senior midfielder Lauren Couto, whose one-timer flew into Phillips' arms.
• In the 84th minute, Marist earned a corner kick, and Colatosti flicked a shot that Sofia Lospinoso deflected away. The keeper came out of net, but the Red Foxes were flagged offside before re-collecting the ball.

 

stats

• Marist stopped 13 shots to Quinnipiac's five, and had four fewer fouls.
• The Bobcats held the advantage in shots and corner kicks.
• Hendricks placed two shots on goal. Caldarelli, Colatosti, senior midfielder Lauren Couto, and junior forward Kaylin Sperley also fired a shot on net.
• Sturno, Jillian Colucci, and Brooke Cergol were handed yellow cards.

 

notes

• In two straight years, Marist has had a freshman score in her collegiate debut. Amanda Caldarelli shares that honor with now-sophomore forward Leah Barbieri, who scored at Towson on August 25th, 2019.
• This was Kelchner's third game in her career where she totaled double-digit saves. She eclipsed her previous career-high of 11 saves, which she set against Army and Fairfield last season.
• Sasso collected her fourth-career assist, giving her 26 points in three-plus seasons at Marist.
• Sturno racks up her second-career assist, which also came against the Bobcats on November 3rd, 2019.
• Caldarelli and Hendricks started in their collegiate debuts as well.
• The all-time series now favors Quinnipiac 4-3-2.

 

up next

• Marist returns to Tenney Stadium to host Saint Peter's in its 2020-21 home opener on Tuesday, March 16th at 7 p.m.