Escala and Calderaro Net First Collegiate Goals as Women's Soccer Earns Tie With Saint Anselm
Box Score DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Sept. 8, 2015) – Sophomore Stephanie Escala (Corona, N.Y./Long Island City) and freshman Lauren Calderaro (La Verne, Calif./Bonita) each recorded their first collegiate goal as the Mercy College women's soccer team earned a 2-2 tie after two overtime periods with Saint Anselm College in their home opener at Mercy Field on Tuesday afternoon.
The Mavericks are now 0-1-1, while the tie brings the Hawks record to 1-1-1 on the year.
Calderaro finished with her goal on four shots, while freshman Haley Noble (Torrance, Calif./Torrance) notched an assist and three shots on goal. Freshman Kendall Wright (Mission Viejo, Calif./Mission Viejo) assisted on Calderaro's goal and ended the contest with one shot. Senior Jessica DeLeon (Phoenix, Ariz./Paradise Valley CC) concluded the game with three shots on goal and senior goalkeeper Nicole Augustine (Kingston, N.Y./Kingston) made eight saves to move to 0-1-1 in net on the year.
The visitors from New Hampshire received goals from Kendra Bonczar and Corey Murray, while goalkeeper Cassie Quattropani made 16 stops in net to help preserve the tie.
On a warm and humid day in Dobbs Ferry both teams gave it all they had with the help of several substitutions throughout the game, but neither team was able to find the one goal needed to win the contest late.
After nearly 17 minutes of scoreless play, Saint Anselm would score first as Bonczar took a throughball from Jillian Beatty, who played the ball from just past midfield, to make it 1-0 in favor of the Hawks.
Following almost 12 more minutes of scoreless action, the Mavericks would score two goals in a period of just over two minutes as Escala took a throw-in from the left side of the side from Noble and fired it past Quattropani in the 29th minute to even things up at 1-1.
Calderaro would give Mercy the lead just two minutes later, taking a pass from Wright from just outside the box and beating the goalkeeper in a one versus one situation to put the Mavericks up 2-1.
The two teams went into the intermission with Mercy up 2-1 and the Mavericks held a narrow 9-6 edge in shots.
The second half saw the offensive intensity pick up with both goalkeepers making several saves to help their team out. Saint Anselm entered the second half looking for the equalizer and would find it in the 66th minute as Corey Murray took a throughball from Nicole Rust and shot it in upper left corner to knot the game up at 2-2.
Both teams scrambled to try and get the game-winning goal in regulation but both goalkeepers stood strong and the contest went to overtime.
The first overtime saw the Mavericks force Quattropani to make three saves in the frame, but the best scoring opportunity in the period came from Saint Anselm as a last second shot by Rachel Gillies hit the post.
The Mavericks held possession in the Hawks end of the field for most of the second overtime. However, they were unable to breakthrough despite five shots in the period and the game would end in a tie as both teams put up a tremendous fight on a warm afternoon.
Mercy ended the game with a 29-18 advantage in shots and took six corner kicks compared to three for the visitors.
Head Coach Jonathan Feinstein and the Mavericks look to get in the win column as they travel to American International on Thursday, September 10th for a 7 p.m. kickoff.
