#18 Women's Soccer Silences #7 Saint Rose, Prevails 3-0
NORTH ANDOVER, MA- The #18 Merrimack women's soccer team shocked #7 Saint Rose 3-0 on a blustery Saturday afternoon at Martone-Mejail Field. The Warriors improve to 12-2-0 on the season and 10-2-0 in the Northeast-10 Conference. The Golden Knights suffer their first loss of the year to fall to 12-1-1 overall and 10-1-1 in the league.
Merrimack took a 1-0 lead 20:08 into the match as Danielle Dion (North Grosvenordale, CT) tapped in a loose ball in front of the cage. Jamie Alnwick (Groton, MA) served a corner kick into the box that the visitors' goalkeeper pushed away. The ball fell inside the six-yard box for Dion who knocked it in the goal for her fourth tally of the season.
Dion found the back of the net just 18 seconds later to double the Warriors' advantage. The sophomore dribbled in on a breakaway and fired a shot from the top of the penalty area. The goalkeeper made a diving stop but the ball deflected into the air. Dion's bid ricocheted off of the crossbar and bounced on the goal line then into the roof of the net for her second of the day.
Jessica Peacock (Hopedale, MA) increased Merrimack's gap to three with her second goal in two matches. Peacock took a free kick from the right wing that was blocked by a defender. Jordan Schnopp (Dalton, MA) corralled the loose ball inside the penalty box and dished it back to Peacock on the flank. The senior co-captain unleashed a one-time strike that rang off of the left post and into the back of the net.
The Warriors went into the halftime break with the 3-0 edge. Saint Rose owned a 13-3 lead in shots through 45 minutes of play.
In the second half, Merrimack continued to play strong defense while also creating scoring opportunities and possessing the ball to keep the pressure on the Golden Knights.
Kara Hennigan (Pawtucket, RI) kept the shutout alive as she cleared a shot off of the goal line midway through the second frame.
Kiley Horne (Scituate, MA) turned away 10 shots to register her fifth clean sheet of the season and improve to 12-2-0 in goal for the Warriors. Horne came up with numerous highlight reel saves in the contest, including a stretching block on a curling shot headed for the far post in the first half.
Saint Rose finished the game with 24 shots while Merrimack managed to record seven. The Golden Knights earned eight corner kicks in the match while the Warriors were awarded six.
"We played really well today and our team showed a lot of determination," said head coach Gabe Mejail. "I thought our defense played great today. Scoring three goals in such a short period of time gave us tons of momentum."
Merrimack remains at home as it welcomes Queens (NY) to Martone-Mejail Field for the final non-conference tilt of the season.
