By Julian Bell
Sports Writer
The FDU Women’s Soccer team hosted their 18th match of the season on Oct. 28 against LIU Brooklyn, winning 4-2.
The Knights are currently 5-1-1 in the NEC. Though they were unable to prevent LIU Brooklyn from scoring, the victory provided them with a clear path to the NEC Tournament which took place on Nov.4.
The first period of the match was marked by aggressive scoring attempts and dominant ball control by the Knights. At goalie for FDU was freshman Amanda Fitzgerald while the goalkeeper for LIU Brooklyn was sophomore Erin Harbison. Fitzgerald had a total of four saves while Harbison made 10 saves.
FDU began the match with effective ball control. FDU sophomore midfielder Jessi Reinhardt executed a corner kick followed by a header shot by Junior defender Kristina Neri. Both attempts fell short of the goal as the Blackbirds later took possession of the ball. FDU junior midfielder Dara Battistoni was responsible for Knights’ first goal of the match. The score was tied, but both teams were far from finished.
Once the second period began, both teams put together even more aggressive scoring drives. Another goal was scored by LIU player Madison Gomez which put the Blackbirds up 2-1 on us. This was Gomez’s fourth goal scored of the entire season. FDU responded with an offensive bust of their own. Scoring three consecutive goals as the game became increasingly one sided.
The Knights executed 15 shots on goal while the Blackbirds attempted six. The Knights also made better use of the corner kick with a total of 11, while LIU did not make any corner kicks during the match. The Knights proved to be the more disciplined team, committing only four fouls compared to the Blackbirds’ six.
The scoring leaders for the Knights included Connie Lewis with two goals, and Stasi Torchia with one. Dara Battistoni also scored a goal.
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NEC Tournament Update
The Knights fell short in the NEC Tournament on Nov. 4 in a 0-2 loss against Saint Francis U. After losing to Mount St. Mary’s on Oct. 30., the tournament was their only hope for redemption.
