QU Women’s Soccer Suffers Heartbreaking Double Overtime Defeat, 3-2, at Marist

Wednesday, October 7

Tenney Stadium at Leonidoff Field - Poughkeepsie, N.Y.

7 pm

Quinnipiac University

5-6-0, 1-3-0

Marist

4-7-1, 3-2-0

Team	1	2	OT 3	OT 4	Final F
Quinnipiac	0	2	0	0	2
Marist	1	1	0	1	3

QU Women’s Soccer Suffers Heartbreaking Double Overtime Defeat, 3-2, at Marist

10/7/2015 11:20:00 PM | Women's Soccer

Box Score

By: QU Sports Information

POUGHKEEPSIE, New York – Despite a mammoth second half comeback that saw the Bobcats fight back from a two-goal deficit, the Quinnipiac women's soccer team ultimately suffered a heartbreaking, 3-2, double overtime defeat at Marist on Wednesday evening.

Just 11 seconds away from walking away from Tenney Stadium with a huge road point in a thrilling comeback bid, Quinnipiac (5-6, 1-3 MAAC) committed a foul on the far side to allow Marist (4-7-1, 3-2 MAAC) a free kick opportunity from 35 yards out. With the stage set and the home fans on their feet, the Red Foxes delivered with a perfect service from Kristen Reilly to Camille Bowen who headed in a crushing game-winning goal with six seconds remaining.

"Tonight was our best performance of the season," said Quinnipiac head coach Dave Clarke. "We didn't deserve to lose in the manner in which we did. But that performance now becomes the standard for the rest of the season."

The jubilation on the Marist side signaled the end of what was one of the most thrilling games a collegiate soccer fan can ask for. The Red Foxes took a commanding 2-0 lead early in the second half only to see the road side storm back with a pair of goals, including a Kelly Caruso (Rocky Hill, Connecticut) penalty kick equalizer with just 5:11 remaining in regulation, to send the game into overtime.

Quinnipiac outplayed Marist significantly throughout both overtime frames, outshooting the Red Foxes, 7-2, in the second overtime period alone. Five different Bobcats fired shots in the second sudden death frame alone but Marist stole the victory in the final seconds with the perfectly executed free kick and header to finish the game-clinching victory.

An exciting game throughout, Quinnipiac turned in goals from Caruso and Jess Fontaine (Enfield, Connecticut). Caruso's marker was her second penalty kick goal of the season while Fontaine's tally moves her into a tie for the team-lead with four goals in 2015. Fontaine's goal also bumped her single-season career high point total up to 12 (four goals, four assists) through 11 games on the season.

Nadya Gill (Toronto, Ontario) played one of the best games of her young career as she assisted on the Fontaine tally to bump her assist total up to two in 2015. Gill also fired three shots, including two on-goal, as her move to an attacking midfielder paid dividends throughout the contest.

Despite possession and shots (7-2) heavily favoring the Bobcats throughout the first half, Marist was able to take advantage of their lone scoring opportunities of the opening stanza. As the Red Foxes possessed on the near side, a centering pass was deflected and bounced once inside the box before landing on the foot of Marist's Kristen Reilly. With Natalia Grodzki (Bartlett, Illinois) out of position, Reilly was left with an easy tap-in as the Red Foxes led 1-0 just under 30 minutes into play.

Marist tacked on another to make it a 2-0 game early in the second half as Hope Quinonez finished another loose ball in the box. Grodzki came out of her net and made a diving attempt to corral the deflected ball. Quinnipiac's defenders all converged on Grodzki to help with the clearance attempt but Quinonez was on the lucky end of a bang-bang sequence as the clear banged off players from both sides before landing in front for Quinonez.

Gill's clinical play on the near side to set up Fontaine's goal was a marvelous series as the freshman dribbled around two levels of Red Fox defenders. Possessing just outside the box, shook off the first defender and one-touched inches from the goal line. Needing to zig-zag between three Marist defenders, Gill surprised everyone with a delicate touch parallel to the goal line. With Marist expecting her to drag back to the middle, Gill slid in-between the defenders and fired a centering pass to Fontaine who fired home an emphatic finish.

Caruso then made the play of the game as she carried the ball from 40 yards out into the Marist defensive box. With a defender closing in, Caruso alertly flicked a touch around the Marist defender and was brought down on the ensuring Red Fox challenge. The referee blew his whistle and pointed to the circle for a penalty kick opportunity that Caruso buried to make it 2-2 with just 5:11 left in regulation.

The near two-goal comeback would have marked the first time the Bobcats overcame a two-goal deficit to either tie or win since Oct. 3, 2008 when QU defeated Robert Morris, 4-3, on the road after trailing 3-1 in the second half.

Next up for the Bobcats is Senior Day, slated for Saturday, Oct. 10 at 1 PM, as six Bobcats will be honored prior to the start of the match against Monmouth.