THREE SECOND-HALF GOALS RALLY WOMEN'S SOCCER PAST LE MOYNE, 4-2
.jpg?max_width=250)
Box Score vs. Le Moyne - September 28, 2011
ROCKVILLE CENTRE, N.Y. (Sept. 28, 2011) - Trailing 2-1 in the latter half, the Molloy College women's soccer team came back with three straight goals in a 19-minute stint, and recorded a 4-2 victory over Le Moyne College on Wednesday in a non-conference duel at the Dean G. Skelos Sports Complex in Rockville Centre, N.Y. Sophomore midfielder Allison Sloper (Williston Park, N.Y.) picked up the game-tying and go-ahead scores, while junior forward Nicole Valentine (Massapequa, N.Y.) added an insurance tally in the 79th-minute.
Molloy (5-4) took the early 1-0 lead on a 14th-minute score by senior midfielder Nicole Reverberi (Massapequa, N.Y.). On the play, she dribbled left of a Le Moyne defender inside the box, and sent an eight-yard shot just inside the left post. Seven-plus minutes later, the Dolphins tied up the contest on a tally from Gabrielle Ariola (Mexico, N.Y.). She one-timed a shot into the right corner of the netting off of a Rachel Farneti (Marcellus, N.Y.) one-touch dish-off inside the box. Junior forward Christie Morano (Highland, N.Y.) twice tried to put Le Moyne up before the half, but Tricia Zarro (Valley Stream, N.Y.) saved both.
Morano would not be denied though six minutes into the second half, as she handed the Dolphins their first advantage of the game in the process. She streaked past freshman back Jacqui Valentine (Massapequa, N.Y.) up the near sideline, and put a shot just behind Zarro from the right flank. Shortly thereafter, in the 58th-minute, Sloper evened things up with a marker on a breakaway. Red-shirt junior midfielder Jackie Harris (Copiague, N.Y.) sent a long ball, which re-directed off a member of the Le Moyne defense, to Sloper, who put a shot by Kelsey McDonald (Stoughton, Mass.) for the equalizer.
Sloper wasn't done there though. Nearly 12 minutes after her first score, the Williston Park native settled down another long pass, this one from sophomore midfielder/forward Natalie Meringolo (Huntington, N.Y.). She then put a ball by McDonald on another breakaway opportunity. Directly off the re-start, Morano took control, and went one-on-one with Zarro. However, the Molloy sophomore goalkeeper covered up before Morano was able to get off a shot. Valentine earned the third victory in the past four games for the Lions with a 79th-minute insurance goal off a header into the lower side of the mesh.
Between the pipes, Zarro made a game-best two saves for Molloy. Meanwhile, McDonald and senior netminder Felicia Tynan (Oxford, N.Y.) combined for one save in the decision for Le Moyne. Overall, the Lions sported a 16-12 clip in shots. As for the Dolphins, they owned a 3-2 margin in corner kicks. Valentine finished with six shots for the maroon and white. Reverberi and Sloper each had four shots. Meringolo chipped in with a pair of shots.
Head Coach Danny Longo and his women's team is back in action on Saturday (Oct. 1) when Molloy opens a short two-game road trip in Flushing, N.Y. at East Coast Conference foe Queens College. The opening kick is slated for noon.
