Two First Half Tallies Secure 2-1 Win for QU Women’s Soccer over Fairfield

Wednesday, September 28

Hamden, Conn.

3:00 PM

Quinnipiac University

5-4-1, 1-2MAAC

Fairfield

1-10, 0-3MAAC

Fairfield

Quinnipiac

Two First Half Tallies Secure 2-1 Win for QU Women’s Soccer over Fairfield

9/28/2016 6:07:00 PM | Women's Soccer

Box Score

Bobcats (4-0) Remain Unbeaten at Home, Pick Up First MAAC Win of 2016

By: QU Sports Information

HAMDEN, Connecticut – Turns out a return home was exactly what the Quinnipiac women's soccer team needed as the Bobcats benefitted from two first half goals to ultimately defeat in-state foe Fairfield, 2-1, on Wednesday afternoon from the QU Soccer Field. The Bobcats' first MAAC win of 2016 puts them at 5-4-1 on the season, 1-2 in league play and 4-0 at home while the Stags drop to 1-10 overall and 0-3 in the MAAC.

Kelly Caruso (Rocky Hill, Connecticut) connected in the 28^th minute on a penalty kick for her second goal of the season. Caruso's penalty strike keeps her perfect streak alive as she remains three-for-three on penalty kicks in her four-year career while her last four goals scored have all some off set piece opportunities. Ally Grunstein (Warren, New Jersey) converted 12 minutes later in the 40^th minute as she was on the receiving end of a great sequence of passes in the midfield from Jess Gargan (Dublin, Ireland) and Jess Fontaine (Enfield, Connecticut). Grunstein's first career game-winner also stands as her third goal of the season.

In a game that featured a combined 33 fouls called between both sides, the Bobcats' most physical matchup of the season played right into the home team's favor. After pressuring with four shots compared to just one for the Stags in the first 27+ minutes of play, the ball was played deep into the Stag defensive zone where Fontaine possessed and was fouled just inside the box. With free kick specialist Caruso on the field, the senior midfielder lined up her kick and made no mistake as she buried home the game's first goal into the lower right corner.

Play began to even out as the first half went along but a tremendous team goal in the 40^th minute pushed the Bobcats in front by two goals. Fontaine created the chance at midfield as she drove up the far side and sent a perfect through ball to Gargan sprinting up the right wing. Gargan tracked the ball down and centered to Grunstein in the box who corralled the pass and buried home the tally, going high on Fairfield keeper Megan DeFeo, to make it 2-0 before halftime. Gargan's assist is her first of 2016 while Fontaine now holds the team-lead with five helpers on the season and 16 over her four-year career. Fontaine stands in a tie for eighth place all-time at Quinnipiac with Furtuna Velaj '12 with her 16 career assists.

With the wind now blowing at their backs in the second half, the Stags took the play to the Bobcats in the second 45-minute stanza. After being outshot 8-4 in the first half, Fairfield owned a 5-1 shot advantage in the second half and controlled possession throughout.

The first four shots of the second half all came from Fairfield and the Stags managed to get back to within one in the 64^th minute as Mel Hingher knocked in her first of the season on a corner kick. Jenn Wahlig swung in the corner kick to the opposite post where the ball bounced before Jenny Jacobs landed a header to Hingher who made it a one-goal game with 26+ minutes remaining.

Even with the Hingher breakthrough, the Bobcat back line held steady with the Stags applying heavy pressure in the waning moments. The four-man defensive unit of Joanna Proctor (Frimley, England), Jess Cascio (Hebron, Connecticut), Kylie Lance (Stow, Massachusetts) and Mackenzie Tibball (West Hartford, Connecticut) making her first career start limited Fairfield to just one shot in the final 26:47 of play.

Olivia Myszewski (Elm Grove, Wisconsin) wasn't tested much in the cage as she made three saves to pick up her second win of the season.

Quinnipiac's victory over Fairfield marks the first win for the Bobcats over the Stags since joining the MAAC in 2013. Prior to the win, the Bobcats were 0-1-2 in three games played against Fairfield.

Next up for the Bobcats is a Saturday matchup against the Marist Red Foxes at 1 PM from the QU Soccer Field. Quinnipiac looks to extend its home unbeaten streak to five games against the Red Foxes whom defeated the Bobcats, 3-2, in Poughkeepsie last season thanks to a golden goal with seven seconds remaining in double overtime.