STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. (September 22, 2024) – The Stonehill College women's soccer team would fall on the road, 2-0 after a pair of late goals were scored by Wagner College in the final 10 minutes of play. With the loss, the Skyhawks dropped to 2-8 overall and 1-1 in conference play, while the Seahawks improved to 2-3-4 and 1-0 against conference opponents.

Highlights

• First-year goalkeeper Allie Sougaris tallied four saves in goal for the Skyhawks.  
• Sougaris' mark of four saves sets a new career-high, surpassing her previous mark of three saves made against Vermont on September 15 in her first career start.
• Junior Hannah Anselmo registered the lone shot on goal for the Skyhawks throughout the day.
• Junior Izzy Gomez paved the way for the Wagner offensive attack, recording three points on the day off a goal and an assist.
• Senior Olivia Rubbo found the back of the net for her first goal of the season.
• Senior goalkeeper Sam Hughes posted her second clean sheet of the season after registering one save in net for the Seahawks.

How it Happened
Wagner opened the conference matchup by controlling possession in its offensive end of the pitch. Despite the offensive zone pressure early from the Seahawks, Stonehill's back-line of graduate student Kara Moore, the sophomore duo of Lily Roslonek and Lindsey Brown, as well as first-year student Alyson Guerette stood tall stifling the Wagner attack effort. The Skyhawk defensive quartet would hold the Seahawks without a high-quality shot attempt throughout the opening 15 minutes of action.

After back-and-forth play throughout the middle third of the field, Wagner would earn its first corner kick of the day. Off the corner, Brown would deflect the cross in front of Sougaris in goal to keep the game scoreless midway through the first half.

Minutes later, at the 29:30 mark, Stonehill would be awarded its first corner kick of the game, resulting in the first shot attempt by sophomore Kayla Cassidy. However, Wagner's defenders would clog the shooting lanes and block Cassidy's bid for the back of the net.

In the waning minutes of the first half, a cross from the far-right side of the pitch by Moore would force Hughes to make a play on the ball as sophomore Lily Newell was within the 18-yard box vying for an attempt to give the Skyhawks the first lead of the contest.

Coming out into the second half of action, Wagner would compile three quality scoring chances in the opening 10 minutes. First-year student Alana Arjona rang a shot off the crossbar, while classmate Anna Shepard fired a shot from within the box just high of the Skyhawks net. Sougaris would come up clutch on the third early chance of the second half, making a sliding save in the 53rd minute to keep the game scoreless.

After a free-kick in the 67th minute by Wagner, where Sougaris would have to make a pair of quick, tough saves, momentum would swing in Stonehill's favor. Over the next 13 minutes, the Skyhawks would outshoot the Seahawks 4-1, with Anselmo rifling Stonehill's first shot on goal at the 77:54 mark of the conference contest.

Despite the Skyhawks' string of offensive chances in the second half, Wagner regained its early offensive momentum, netting a pair of goals in the final 10 minutes of play. Gomez scored what proved to be the game-winning goal at the 81:04 mark before Rubbo netted her first goal of the season and capped off the Seahawks' 2-0 victory in the 85th minute.

Up Next
Stonehill (2-8-0, 1-1-0 NEC) returns to action on Thursday, September 26, traveling to Loretto, Pennsylvania to take on Saint Francis University. Opening kickoff between the Skyhawks and Red Flash is set for 1 PM.

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