Women’s soccer defeated the St. Peter’s Peacocks with a final score of 2-1.
VINCENT DUSOVIC / COURTESY
Emmanouel Sofillas, Sports Editor
Women’s Soccer
The Manhattan University (MU) women’s soccer team honored 10 seniors this past Saturday, Oct. 17, before playing the Sacred Heart Pioneers to a 0-0 draw at Gaelic Park.
Seniors Lauren Ahearn, Arancha Antunes, Marlene Berlinghoff, Molly Brunk, Gianna Fucile, Olivia McMaster, Talia Omer, Kaylee Stowell, Mary Trudeau and Payton Wilkerson were recognized before kickoff.
The match began cautiously for both teams, with the first shot not coming until around the eighth minute. Senior goalkeeper Molly Brunk made the only save of the first half shortly after, and senior forward Lauren Ahearn’s attempt more than 20 minutes later was stopped by Pioneers goalkeeper Kyran Thievon. Freshman forward Baileigh Johnson tried one last shot with under 90 seconds remaining, but the half ended scoreless.
Senior midfielder Olivia McMaster and Sacred Heart’s Alexa Wolff each tried shots within the first 10 minutes of the second half, with Wolff’s attempt bouncing off the crossbar. Ahearn drew a whistle on a cross into the box, but a VAR review ruled her offside.
Brunk made two saves in about three minutes after the 70th minute of play. The Pioneers thought they had taken the lead in the 82nd minute, but VAR confirmed another offside call. Brunk logged her final save in the last two minutes, securing the draw and her 25th career shutout.
The team then traveled to Jersey City, N.J. to continue Metro play against the Saint Peter’s Peacocks this past Wednesday, Oct. 21, winning 2-1.
Brunk made her first save in the fifth minute on a shot by the Peacocks’ Lea Masching. The Jaspers pushed forward with attempts from Ahearn, Katie Cragan and Johnson, all met by saves. Freshman midfielder Logan Smith’s shot in the 40th minute was turned away as well, and seconds later Alex Husson scored for Saint Peter’s to take a 1-0 lead into halftime.
McMaster forced a save within the first three minutes of the second half, then tied the game in the 55th minute, marking her sixth goal of the season. Johnson’s attempt in the 63rd minute was stopped, but in the 79th minute sophomore forward Scarlett Smith set up Ahearn for the go-ahead goal. This point marked Ahearn’s seventh goal of the season, extending her lead on the team.
Brunk made one more save in the 81st minute as the Jaspers held on. The game ended with a final score of 2-1, giving MU back-to-back road wins for the first time this season and moving the team to 8-2-3 overall and 5-1-3 in Metro Conference play. Brunk recorded her 28th career win, extending her program record, as the Jaspers outshot the Peacocks 25-7.
Women’s soccer returns to Gaelic Park to face the Fairfield Stags on Oct. 24.
*Editor’s note: The Jaspers won the game against the Stags with a final score of 3-1. This is the first time MU has defeated Fairfield in almost 10 years.
Women’s Volleyball
Women’s volleyball fell to the Rider Broncs this past Saturday, Oct. 17 with a final score of 3-1, ending the Jaspers’ three-match win streak.
Rider took control early in the first set, scoring seven of the first nine points. Senior middle blocker Abby Morreale responded with back-to-back kills, pulling MU within one at 11-10. The Broncs answered with a four-point run to go up 24-16, and despite a joint block from Morreale and sophomore right side Hanna Kaczynska, Rider took the set 25-17.
The second set followed a similar pattern, as the Broncs scored 11 of the first 16 points. A joint block from Kaczynska and redshirt freshman middle blocker Laura Hernandez brought the Jaspers within seven at 19-12, but Rider pulled away to win the set 25-14.
MU took the lead early in the third set, going on a five-point run capped by a joint block from Morreale and senior Katie Powers for an 11-4 advantage. Rider rallied to get within one, but another block from Morreale and sophomore outside hitter Emma Francesconi widened the gap. The Broncs saved two set points to tie the score at 24, but the Jaspers took the final two points, with Morreale and Powers coming together for one last block to win the set 26-24.
VINCENT DUSOVIC / COURTESY
The fourth set was a back-and-forth between both teams, which stayed even through the first 24 points. Redshirt junior outside hitter Mikalah Curran’s kill cut Rider’s lead to 17-15, and a block from Curran and sophomore middle blocker Helenn Montilla brought MU within one at 23-22. The Broncs logged the final two points, ending the set 25-22 and the match 3-1.
Powers and Curran led the Jaspers with 10 kills each, and Morreale posted a team-high six blocks. Francesconi recorded three aces and a team-high 12 digs.
The team then traveled to Fairfield, C.T. to continue Metro play against the Fairfield Stags this past Friday, Oct. 23, falling in a match of 3-0.
Fairfield, undefeated in conference play at 10-0, used an 8-2 run midway through the first set to lead 16-8. Powers recorded three of the Jaspers’ first eight kills, but the Stags scored nine of the last 10 points to take the set 25-10.
The Stags jumped out to an 11-4 lead in the second set. A solo block from Montilla and a joint block from Kaczynska and Francesconi stopped a three-point Fairfield run, and a service ace from junior setter Ori Briger cut the deficit to 13-10. The Stags answered with nine of the next 10 points to go up 22-11. Freshman outside hitter Karsyn Harris started a 7-2 Jaspers run with a kill, but Fairfield held on to win the set 25-17.
Harris and Kaczynska landed back-to-back kills to give MU a 5-3 lead early in the third set. Fairfield retook the lead, and a block from Kaczynska and Montilla kept the Jaspers within two. A service ace from senior setter Emilia Kuzniar cut the Stags’ lead to 21-17, but Fairfield closed out the set 25-20 and the match 3-0.
MU hit .357 in the third set, its best of the match, while Morreale led the team with seven kills and Montilla added five blocks. The loss moves the Jaspers to 5-16 overall and 4-6 in Metro play.
The Jaspers stay in Fairfield, CT to face the Sacred Heart Pioneers on Oct. 24.
*Editor’s note: The Jaspers lost the game to the Pioneers in a final score of 0-3.