Quinnipiac University
Niagara
QU Women's Soccer Falls on the Road at Niagara, 4-1
9/27/2014 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
NIAGARA UNIVERSITY, N.Y. – Despite a milestone goal for freshman Daniella Maggio (Brick, N.J.), the Quinnipiac University women's soccer team suffered its first MAAC setback of the 2014 season on Saturday night. After finding the equalizer midway through the first half, three unanswered goals propelled Niagara University to a 4-1 victory at the university's soccer field.
A much improved squad from a year ago, Niagara (5-1-3, 1-0-1 MAAC) was quick out of the gate to find the game's first goal just five minutes in. Laura Ortiz slipped a pass to Catherine Meyer down the left side of the field where she whipped a left-footed cross into the center of the penalty area. Sprinting alongside the play was Hayley Besaw, as the junior midfielder redirected a header up and over the outstretched arms of Bobcat keeper Natalia Grodzki (Bartlett, Ill.) for the 1-0 advantage.
Niagara's first lead of the game was short-lived though, as Quinnipiac (1-6-1, 0-1-1 MAAC) manufactured the game-tying goal some eight minutes later. Senior Christina Cesarini (Garden City, N.Y.) found some room down the left side of the field and played a dangerous ball into the penalty box. Fending off a defender, Maggio established just enough room to lift a header up and over NU's goalkeeper Claire Feiertag to tie the score up at 1-1. Maggio collected her first career goal and points in a Bobcat uniform, while Cesarini picked up her first career assist on the play. Cesarini upped her career total to seven points.
Momentum turned to Quinnipiac for the next 10 minutes, until a bit of bad luck helped the home team. Niagara earned a free-kick just over midfield where an NU defender lofted a ball deep into Bobcat territory. The box full of bodies, the ball took an unfortunate bounce off a QU defender and found the top corner of the net for the game's third goal. NU carried the 2-1 lead into halftime.
With a one-goal lead and maintaining majority of the game's possession, Niagara put Quinnipiac back on its heels throughout the second half. The Purple Eagles 
added a third goal on a beautiful strike on a free-kick in the 61st minute, and a rebound-goal in the 81st minute to secure the victory. It marked the first time that Quinnipiac conceded four goals to a MAAC opponent.
Grodzki was credited with a season-high eight saves in the losing effort. Her counterpart, Feiertag, made two saves in her fifth win of the season.
The second meeting all-time between the two teams, Quinnipiac and Niagara played to a 1-1 draw through double overtime last season.
Quinnipiac returns to action next week with a pair of home games at the QU Soccer Field. The Bobcats bring in Fairfield on Wednesday, Oct. 1 (3 p.m.) and Canisius on Saturday, Oct. 4 (1 p.m.).
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.
