LATE RALLY PUSHES WOMEN'S SOCCER PAST NYIT, 3-2

Box Score vs. NYIT - September 24, 2011

OLD WESTBURY, N.Y. (Sept. 24, 2011) - Behind 2-1 with nine-plus minutes left in the contest, the Molloy College women's soccer squad recorded two unanswered tallies in a four-minute stint, and earned a 3-2 comeback win over East Coast Conference foe New York Institute of Technology at President's Stadium in Old Westbury, N.Y. Junior forward/midfielder Nicole Valentine (Massapequa, N.Y.) scored the equalizer, while sophomore back/midfielder Sami Saad (Valley Stream, N.Y.) registered the game-winner with just 4:45 left for the Lions, who earned their second come-from-behind win in a row on Saturday.

During the opening stanza, NYIT (5-3, 0-1 ECC) achieved some early scoring opportunities, but each chance was turned aside by rookie keeper Nicole DellaPorta (West Babylon, N.Y.). Senior forward Ally Halbig (Babylon, N.Y.) and senior back Jenna D'Alessandro (West Hempstead, N.Y.) attempted two shots each. However, it was Molloy (4-3, 1-1 ECC) that opened up the scoring. Valentine punched a rebound with 23:38 elapsed past Bears' senior keeper Kathryn Miller (Doylestown, Pa.) for the early 1-0 advantage. That turned out to be all the action in the half, as the Lions went into the break up by a one-goal clip.

Just nine minutes into the latter half, sophomore midfielder Sina Windmueller (Sargans, Switzerland) tied things up for the hosts. On the play, the Switzerland native rushed past DellaPorta to the right, sending a shot into the back of the mesh. She punched one home again only 4:52 later, suppling the Bears a 2-1 advantage. This time, Windmueller tapped a shot into the net off a cross-pass from junior midfielder Natali Arana (Island Park, N.Y.). In the ensuing 19-plus minutes, the Lions were able to muster only one shot, coming from Alyssa Faller (Floral Park, N.Y.).

But, the maroon and white weren't done battling. With just 9:09 left in regulation, Valentine registered the tying and second marker of the game on an unassisted effort. She drew Miller out of the goal, and tapped it into the rear of the netting. Halbig attempted to put NYIT ahead late in the 85th-minute, but her shot sailed high. On the other hand, Saad took a chance for the Molloy offense, and got the go-ahead score. With the time dwindling, sophomore forward Maria Moreno (Oyster Bay, N.Y.) put a final shot on net for the Bears, but her chance was stonewalled by DellaPorta.

NYIT owned an 18-8 advantage in shots, while Molloy sported a 5-2 margin in corner kicks. Valentine and Halbig tied for the game-high in shots with four apiece. Windmueller and Moreno added three more each for the hosts.

Head Coach Danny Longo and the Lions return to the field on Tuesday (Sept. 27) when they face Lock Haven University in the start of a short two-game homestand at the Dean G. Skelos Sports Complex in Rockville Centre, N.Y. Kickoff is set for 3 p.m.