<ee different Knights scored as the Knights kicked off their MIAC season with a 5-0 victory over the St. Catherine University Wildcats. Midfielders Lily VanderStaay ’12 and Zoe Suche ’13 each tallied two goals, while forward Cassie Burke ’13 scored as well. Goalkeeper Beth Ashinsky ’13 added four saves and recorded the eleventh shutout of her career.
Although midfielder Sarah Hagerty ’13 lofted a shot in just ten minutes into the match, her goal was ruled offsides, resulting in increased offensive pressure from the angry Knights. Within five minutes, the Knights officially opened the scoring as VanderStaay blasted an unassisted shot from the midfield. With one goal behind them, the Knights pressed forwards, resulting in VanderStaay’s seond goal of the match as she broke through the Wildcat defense off of an assist from Suche. Currently, VanderStaay is the Knights’ leading scorer, with four goals in the last five games alone.
Although the Knights only led 2-0 at halftime, they clearly dominated first half and came out with intensity in the second. Burke scored only eight minutes into the half off an assist from first-year forward Ellie Wilson ’15, who has consistently notched goals and assists in nearly every game for the Knights. Shortly afterwards, Suche beat several defenders after a pass from Niki Tomita ’12, and scored on a beautiful shot over the keeper’s head. The Knights finished up the match with another goal from Suche, which came several minutes later off of an assist from Alexandra Guy ’15.
Unfortunately, the Knights faced a significantly harder match last Saturday against the St. Benedict’s Blazers. The two teams, who last met in the 2010 MIAC Playoff semifinal, both fought hard, but despite a valiant effort, the Knights fell, 1-0, to the Blazers.
Although the Knights started out with intensity, they fell a step behind the Blazers throughout the duration of the first half, with the Blazers outshooting the Knights 11-6. Fortunately, keeper Ashinsky kept the Knights in the game with several impressive saves, including shutting down two breakaways. Although the Blazers slipped a goal past the Knights in the 22nd minute, the team’s best defensive efforts combined with Ashinsky’s stellar goalkeeping kept the Knights firmly in the game heading into halftime.
In the second half, the Knights began controlling more possession, stringing passes together and sharply decreasing the Blazers’ chances on goal. Although the Blazers did manage to slot one shot past Ashinsky, defender Abby Wills ’12 managed to clear the ball off the line, keeping the Knights alive. The Knights managed to generate some offensive power, with promising shots from Suche and Wilson, but ultimately were unable to find the back of the net. The loss was the Knights’ first of the season.
The Knights next look to defeat Concordia College this Saturday at 2 PM at Bell Field. In what promises to be a compelling game, the Knights and the Cobbers will face each other in a rematch of last year’s MIAC Playoff final, in which the Cobbers emerged victorious in a penalty kick shootout.