Nadya Gill Game-Winner, Devan Malcolm Clean Sheet Lead QU Women’s Soccer Past Bryant, 1-0

Wednesday, September 7

Bulldog Soccer Field - Smithfield, RI

3:00 PM

Quinnipiac University

4-1-1

Bryant

3-3

Quinnipiac

Bryant

Nadya Gill Game-Winner, Devan Malcolm Clean Sheet Lead QU Women’s Soccer Past Bryant, 1-0

9/7/2016 5:58:00 PM | Women's Soccer

Box Score

Bobcats Win First Road Game of 2016, Win First 1-0 Decision Since 2014

By: QU Sports Information

SMITHFIELD, Rhode Island – The ever-evolving Quinnipiac women's soccer team continued to show a new side on Wednesday as the team defensive approach proved to be the difference in a 1-0 road win at Bryant. Both back lines controlled the action but one clever chipped finish from Nadya Gill (Toronto, Ontario) won it in the end for a Bobcat squad that won their first road game of 2016 and improves to 4-1-1 on the season while the Bulldogs drop to 3-3 in 2016.

Gill's heroics came early in the match as she found the back of the net in the 19^th minute for her team-leading fourth goal of the season and second game-winner of 2016. With possession largely one-sided throughout the first half, the Bobcats managed to cash in on a mistake by the Bulldog defenders near midfield. Jess Fontaine (Enfield, Connecticut) dispossessed a Bulldog defender, winning a tackle and flicking the ball ahead to Gill riding a ton of speed into the Bryant end. Needing just one touch, Gill looked up and saw Bryant's keeper Kaylan Conrad aggressively coming off her line to challenge. With little room to shoot low, Gill cleverly chose to chip the ball over the diving Conrad which bounced once before sliding into the back of the net.

The goal for Gill gives her nine points (four goals, one assist) this season to lead the Bobcats while Fontaine dished out her team-leading fourth assist to give her six points (one goal, four assists) in 2016. Fontaine also continues to move up the all-time record list at Quinnipiac as her 15 career assists gives her sole possession of ninth place in program history.

Several more chances followed as both Ally Grunstein (Warren, New Jersey) and Al Pelletier (Cheshire, Connecticut) both had a couple looks from close range inside the box but Conrad was positioned well for both attempts and made the easy saves to keep the score at 1-0 heading into halftime.

The highest scoring team in the MAAC heading into play Wednesday at 2.80 goals per game was largely held in check by the stingy Bryant defense that came in leading the Northeast Conference in goals against average (0.58). With the offense not factoring heavily into the decision, the Bobcats relied heavily on their defensive tactics in this non-conference duel between two former conference foes dating back to Quinnipiac's time in the NEC.

Devan Malcolm (Natick, Massachusetts) was the beneficiary of strong play in the midfield and back line throughout as she was only needed for four saves and only one that came from a legitimate scoring opportunity. In the 60^th minute of play, Bryant began to swing momentum in their favor in the attacking zone and drew a foul outside the box. Lining up a prime free kick opportunity, Hannah Crofut sent a strike curling into the lower right corner of the net but the looping shot was met with Malcolm's outstretched gloves. The full-length save kicked loose for a second but Malcolm was able to get back to her feet, recovering to force a second shot attempt sail wide and keep the Bobcats out in front.

Throughout the remaining 30+ minutes of play with Bryant playing desperately in the midfield, the Bobcat back line of Kylie Lance (Stow, Massachusetts), Jess Cascio (Hebron, Connecticut), Joanna Proctor (Frimley, England) and Jillian Consolini (Suffield, Connecticut) locked down and held the Bulldogs to just one shot attempt in the final third of play.

Quinnipiac's second clean sheet of 2016 (3-0 vs. UMass Lowell – Aug. 23, 2016) stands as the first 1-0 win for the Bobcats since defeating Vermont by the same score at home back on Sept. 13, 2014. The 1-0 decision on Wednesday also marked the first time since defeating Holy Cross on Sept. 2, 2012 that the Bobcats have won 1-0 on the road.

The Bobcats now move on to their biggest and final non-conference test of 2016 as Quinnipiac heads to Albany to face the reigning America East Champion UAlbany Great Danes on Sunday, Sept. 11 at 1 PM from Bob Ford Field. The two teams met last season and the Great Danes got the better of the Bobcats, 4-1, in Hamden.