#17 Saint Rose Spoils Senior Day for Women's Soccer
Links: Box Score | Highlights
NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – The Merrimack College women's soccer team had their Senior Day spoiled on Saturday afternoon as they were upended by #17 Saint Rose by a score of 2-1 in their regular season finale.
The Basics
Score: #17 Saint Rose 2, Merrimack 1
Records: Merrimack (11-4-3, 8-4-2 NE-10) | #17 Saint Rose (14-2-2, 12-2 NE-10)
Location: Martone-Mejail Field | North Andover, Mass.
NE-10 Postseason Outlook:
The top-eight programs in the NE-10 standings advance to the NE-10 Championship, with the top-four teams hosting quarterfinal matchups on Tuesday, Nov. 3. The Warriors are locked in at the five-seed for the Northeast-10 Championships, and will play a quarterfinal match on the road at either American International or Southern New Hampshire depending on Saturday's outcomes.
1. Saint Rose (12-2-0; 36 points)
2. Adelphi (11-0-2; 35 points)
3. American Int'l (10-3-1; 31 points)
4. Southern N.H. (9-2-2; 29 points)
5. Merrimack (8-4-2; 26 points)
6. Assumption (8-6; 24 points)
7. Pace (5-4-4; 19 points)
8. Southern Conn. (6-7-1; 19 points)
How It Happened
Saint Rose would live up to their national ranking out of the gate in the game, playing quality team soccer and maintaining possession of the ball early in the first half. Senior Meghan Gulbrandsen (Haverhill, Mass.) would face 12 shots in the opening half and make some spectacular diving stops early in the game.
The Golden Knights would score both of their goals in a 4:31 span in the first half on two very nice counter attacks up field that ended in scores. The second goal for Saint Rose would come on a rocket shot from 30 yards out that would find the lower left of the net, flying just by the outreached hands of Gulbrandsen.
The Warriors would play the second half with a new sense of energy and urgency, attacking the ball wherever it went on the field. That energy would pay off in the 73rd minute, when freshman Hannah Perez (Cheshire, Conn.) would loft a ball high in the air towards the keeper. As the ball started to descend, fellow freshman Gigi Guenther (Webster, Mass.) would sky into the air and head the ball by keeper, who was also airborne in an attempt to get the ball.
Guenther's goal brought a rush of excitement over the crowd that would reflect on the Warriors. Yet another freshman in Taylor Cogliano (Bellingham, Mass.) would get an opportunity from close range after beating a defender, but just sailed it high over the crossbar. The Golden Knights would hold off the final wave of Warrior attempts to hang on to the win.
Inside The Numbers
- Saint Rose outshot the Warriors in the game 17-12. Shots favored the Golden Knights 12-5 in the first half, while Merrimack's shot production outnumbered Saint Rose's 7-5 in the second.
- The Warriors would only take one corner kick in each half, with Saint Rose outnumbering them in that category 6-2.
- The loss snaps a three-game win streak for Merrimack, while it is only their second loss in the last eight games.
Up Next
The Warriors are locked in at the five-seed for the Northeast-10 Championships, and will play a quarterfinal match on the road at either American International or Southern New Hampshire depending on Saturday's outcomes.
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