WOMEN'S SOCCER HANGS ON FOR THIRD-STRAIGHT WIN AT MERCY, 2-1

Box Score vs. Mercy - October 6, 2011

DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Oct. 6, 2011) - Senior midfielder Nicole Reverberi (Massapequa, N.Y.) and sophomore midfielder/forward Allison Sloper (Williston Park, N.Y.) each scored a goal on Tuesday, as the Molloy College women's soccer team edged Mercy College, 2-1, in an East Coast Conference match-up at Mavericks Field in Dobbs Ferry, N.Y. Freshman netminder Nicole DellaPorta (West Babylon, N.Y.) also sported a game-high nine saves for the Lions, who have now won three in a row, and five of their last six contests.

Just over 11 minutes into the opening stanza, Molloy (7-4, 3-1 ECC) attempted the first shot of the game, which went into the back of the net. On the play, Mercy freshman goalkeeper Krystal Guerrero (East Meadow, N.Y.) came out from between the pipes to retrieve a loose ball. But, she lost control, and Sloper took over on the intercept. From there, the Williston Park pride punched a shot past Guerrero, giving the visitors an early 1-0 advantage.

Mercy (2-9, 1-3 ECC) looked for a quick response, firing three unanswered shots on net - all of which were saved by DellaPorta. Molloy then looked for some early insurance, but attempts by Sloper and Reverberi within a two-minute spurt were knocked down by the East Meadow native. The Lions soon went into the intermission ahead by the same one-goal cushion.

Early into the second half, Reverberi struck twine to double the Molloy lead. In the 61st-minute, she curved a corner inside the post to make it a 2-0 game. For the next 15 minutes, the hosts managed just one shot on goal. However, with 11:07 left, the shutout effort for DellaPorta ended when Andrea Nash (Somers, N.Y.) sent a 19-yarder into the mesh. As the time dwindled down to zero, Nash, looking for the equalizer, put two more tries on net, but DellaPorta stonewalled both for the victory.

DellaPorta stopped a game-best nine shots in net, while Guerrero made four saves. Overall, Mercy held a 15-7 advantage in shots. Both squads earned two corner kicks each. Sloper and freshman forward Ashley Guerrero (East Meadow, N.Y.) were knotted for the game-high in shots with four credited to their names.

Head Coach Danny Longo and the Lions have their biggest test next, as they will host the No. 1 ranked Purple Knights of the University of Bridgeport in an ECC tilt on Saturday (Oct. 15) at the Dean G. Skelos Sports Complex in Rockville Centre, N.Y. The opening kick is scheduled for noon.