Quinnipiac University
Fairfield
QU Women's Soccer Drops Conference Clash with Fairfield, 4-1
10/1/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
- Box Score
- QU Women's Soccer Homepage
- QU Women's Soccer Schedule (Downloadable on iCalendar)
- MAAC Women's Soccer Homepage
- Photos & Video of QU vs. Fairfield
HAMDEN, Conn. – The Quinnipiac University women's soccer team fell to Fairfield University, 4-1, on a rainy Wednesday afternoon at the QU Soccer Field.
Battling the elements all game long, both possession and traction proved to be difficult for each team. However, the visiting Stags used their speed down the wings to get in behind the Bobcat defense and create scoring chances in the middle.
Fairfield, who improved to 8-2-1 overall and 2-0-0 in league play with the win, opened the scoring summary in the 12th minute when Preseason MAAC Player of the Year Ashley Small found some room down the right side of the field. Small carried the ball deep into the penalty area and slipped a shot to the far post for a 1-0 lead.
Similar to their last game against Niagara, the Bobcats responded nicely to the 1-0 deficit and quickly knotted the score up at 1-1. Quinnipiac earned a corner kick on the left side of the field where Kelly Caruso (Rocky Hill, Conn.) whipped in a cross to the middle of the penalty area. The ball skimmed off the head of a defender right to Jessica Fontaine (Enfield, Conn.), who calmly redirected a header in to the top corner for the equalizer. Fontaine picked up her team-leading second goal of the season while Caruso collected her first assist of the year.
The Bobcat goal, coupled with an apparent ankle injury to Fairfield's Ashley Small, momentum began to swing in Quinnipiac's favor. QU put Fairfield back on its heels for a good portion of the first half, pressing forward for the go-ahead goal.
Unfortunately for the home team, momentum went back to Fairfield in the 40th minute when the Stags capitalized on a turnover on the Bobcat half. Erin Petteren corralled the loose ball and sent Cassidy Boegel in behind the backline, where the sophomore forward found the corner of the goal for the 2-1 lead.
After intermission, Fairfield settled in and managed to keep possession to create chances. In the 63rd minute, Boegel finished off her second goal of the game on a feed from Karolyn Collins, and five minutes later Michelle Coate added an insurance goal to extend the Fairfield advantage. Collins was a handful down the right side of the field, setting the fourth goal up as well.
A bit of bad luck for Bobcat keeper Natalia Grodzki (Bartlett, Ill.), she made three saves in the losing effort. Her counterpart Kathleen Early also turned away three shots in her eighth win of the season.
Quinnipiac returns to action on Saturday, Oct. 4 with the backend of its two-game home stand. The Bobcats host Canisius at the QU Soccer Field for a 1 p.m. kickoff.
On Saturday, Quinnipiac will host their Coaches vs. Cancer game in conjunction with the American Cancer Society's fight against cancer. Fans will have an opportunity to take part in fundraising activities that will benefit the life-saving work of the American Cancer Society. In addition to national donations, Quinnipiac looks to help two passionate Bobcat fans who are currently in the fight with cancer, Shaun Bailey and Jay Bentivegna.
Student-athletes, parents and fans can download the QU Athletics schedules to your laptop and mobile devices for free by clicking in the iCalendar link at the bottom of each sport's homepage or the master schedule page. Fans can also follow Quinnipiac Athletics on Facebook and Twitter (@QUAthletics) for all of the latest news and updates.
