Nolan Breaks Record in 2-1 Win at Emmanuel
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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St. Joseph (Conn.) (7-1-1, 5-0-1 GNAC) | 1 | 1 | 2 |
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Emmanuel (Mass.) (5-4-1, 2-2-1 GNAC) | 1 | 0 | 1 |
BOSTON, Mass. – Junior Patricia Nolan (Portland, Conn.) scored her school-record 35th career goal and the University of Saint Joseph soccer team extended its unbeaten streak to eight games with a 2-1 victory over Emmanuel College in a GNAC game Wednesday night at Roberto Clemente Field.
The Blue Jays remain undefeated in GNAC play at 5-0-1 and improve to 7-1-1 overall with the win. The loss drops Emmanuel to 5-4-1 on the season and 2-2-1 in league play.
Saint Joseph struck first, scoring just eight minutes into the contest on Nolan's record-breaking goal. Nolan drove 50 yards and drilled a shot past Emmanuel goalkeeper Jessica D'Ottavio (Pawling, N.Y.) for her fourth goal of the season. Nolan had been tied with Paige Briglia, who had scored 34 goals from 2007-09.
The equalizer for the Saints came just ten minutes later, when junior forward Lindsey Garvey (Warwick, R.I.) sent a short feed off the foot of senior captain Meghan Zerba (Cumberland, R.I.). The game-tying goal was also Zerba's fourth of the season.
That goal broke a streak of over 558 scoreless minutes in net for Saint Joseph freshman keeper Melissa Dodge (Watertown, Conn.). Dodge, who has been named the GNAC Goalkeeper of the Week for the past two weeks, had allowed just one prior goal all season, with the last coming on September 8th, six games ago.
The game remained 1-1 at halftime with Emmanuel out-shooting USJ, 8-3. The tide would turn in the second half, with Saint Joseph out-shooting Emmanuel, 9-6.
The game-winning goal came just 1:53 into the second half. Junior midfielder Nicole Mendelson (Southbury, Conn.) took a corner kick from the left side and bent the ball inside to a cutting Kristin Whitman (South Windsor, Conn.), who tapped in her second goal of the season.
Dodge made seven saves and earned her sixth win of the season in net, improving to 6-0-1 on the year.
Saint Joseph is off until Wednesday, Oct. 3, when the Blue Jays host Lasell at 4 p.m. in what could be a battle between the top two teams in the GNAC standings.