One week after beating Niagara 2-0 on the final weekend of the regular season, the No. 3 seeded women’s soccer team fell 2-1 in the MAAC quarterfinals to the No. 6 seeded Purple Eagles. The Stags ended the season 9-9-3 overall.
Head coach Jim O’Brien did not think that having played Niagara so quickly was an advantage or disadvantage.
“I don’t think so, the weather was significantly different,” said O’Brien. “The first game was different with rain and temperatures barely above freezing; we got a few goals and then just grinded it out from there. The weather in Florida was much nicer.”
O’Brien also said that Niagara appeared to simply go through the motions in the first game. In the quarterfinal loss, the Purple Eagles scored two goals in a span of 5:30 during the first half. The first goal was scored at 25:29 and the second at 30:59. The Stags’ only goal was scored at the 80:38 mark in the second half when sophomore Jasmin Corniel passed the ball through two defenders to senior Adrienne Boyer who knocked it in the back of the net.
“We were fortunate to have come out only allowing two goals,” said O’Brien. “We were disorganized defensively. We looked like we did in the beginning of the season. We had improved, but we weren’t as focused and we paid for it.”
The defense had struggled early in the season against some tough competition and dealing with adjusting to losing two key seniors from last year’s backfield. Sophomore Alyssa Decker was the only returning member.
The Stags also had to deal with injuries to several key players throughout the season with seniors Chrissie Sidie and Casey Frobey missing significant time along with freshman Lauren Reilly.
“With those players sustaining injuries, it was disappointing,” said O’Brien. “Casey Frobey will apply for a medical redshirt, so that tempers her season. But with Chrissie, Adrienne and (senior) Bridget (Nerich); they’ve all contributed significantly to our program in a variety of ways. So it was disappointing the way the season ended for them.”
But next year the Stags return much of their young talent and will try to capitalize on the experience they’ve gained this season. Junior Nicole Cavallaro will return for her senior season after being named the MAAC Preseason Player of the Year the past two seasons, but also dealing with injuries in each.
Leading scorer Corniel will also be back after recording 10 goals and five assists this season. They headline an attack that emphasizes speed and skill along with sophomore Spencer Allaway and freshman Lauren Reilly.
Allaway, Corniel and Decker were all named to the All-MAAC First Team. Boyer, Cavallaro and sophomore goalie Kelly Boudreau were all named to the All-MAAC Second Team. Freshman Rachel Madasci was named to the All-MAAC Rookie Team. Named to the All-MAAC Academic Team were Sidie, Allaway, senior Lisa Haylon and sophomores Kaitlin Denis, Bri Miller, Brittnay Putnam and Jackie Taylor.
“We lose some key contributing players, but we return 21 sophomores and freshman along with the addition of Frobey and Cavallaro coming back for her senior season,” said O’Brien. “We’ll be strong players next season.”
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