Women's Soccer Plays to 1-1 Stalemate With Rivier on Senior Night

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – The University of Saint Joseph (USJ) women's soccer team played to its first draw of the 2023 season, tying the visiting Rivier University Raiders, 1-1, in a highly-touted Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) contest on a crisp fall Tuesday night at the USJ Soccer Field in West Hartford, Conn. Both the Blue Jays and Raiders entered tonight's game tied for second in the GNAC standings with 5-1-0 marks in conference play and move to 5-1-1 following the stalemate. USJ moves to 5-3-1 overall on the season, while Rivier is now 6-2-1 overall.

Prior to the match, the USJ Department of Athletics held a brief ceremony to honor its women's soccer class of 2023, recognizing senior midfielder's Jelly Frigo (Hartford, Conn.) and Marisa Brough (Chesire, Conn.). The senior duo later teamed up and Frigo found Brough for what would be the equalizing goal in the 76th minute to secure the draw for the Blue Jays.

KEY MOMENTS

• The match started slow with the majority of play in the middle of the field until the Blue Jays drew the first corner kick of the contest 6:25 in. Frigo took the set piece and curled in a cross that found the head of Brough, but her header sailed just wide of the near post.
• USJ created the next good scoring chance of the match in the 10th minute. Graduate student midfielder Elizabeth Garlock (Meriden, Conn.) played a long pass up the left wing to junior forward Kelsi Ursini (Groton, Conn.), who was able to sprint up to the ball past the Raiders' back line. She drove to goal, but her quick toe-poke shot attempt was gobbled up by River's sophomore keeper Bri Nugent (Killingworth, Conn.) to keep the game deadlocked.
• The first and lone quality scoring chance that Rivier created in the first half, and ultimately the entire game, resulted in a goal for the Raiders. After the Blue Jays turned the ball over in the midfield in the 38th minute, Rivier's sophomore midfielder Elizabeth Jacob (Wilton, N.H.) played a well-timed through ball that junior forward Kaylee Magoon (Loudon, N.H.) rushed to and was in a one-on-one situation with USJ's freshman goalkeeper Madison Corcoran (Bristol, Conn.). Corcoran denied Magoon's first shot attempt, but Magoon kept her composure and tapped in the rebound to give Rivier the lead heading into halftime.
• The Blue Jays came out of the break determined and were much more aggressive in the second half, looking to find at least the equalizer over the final 45 minutes of play.
• After their first four shots to start the second stanza were either wide or saved, the Blue Jays would finally breakthrough and level the match in the 76th minute. USJ was awarded a throw-in deep in their own offensive zone. Frigo found Brough who played a two-touch pass towards the corner flag. Frigo then drove the endline into the penalty area before slipping a diagonal pass back to Brough who was unmarked, and she shot it on the first touch with her right foot and caromed it off the far post for the equalizer and her first goal of the season.
• Saint Joseph kept its foot on the gas and looked to carry the momentum into now finding the go-ahead goal, and it nearly did with two quality chances in the 79th and 80th minutes, respectively.
• In the 79th minute, USJ was awarded a free kick from about 40-yards out. Junior midfielder Jenna Zup (Berlin, Conn.) stepped up to take set piece and rifled a long-range shot, but it was nicely handled and contained by Nugent.
• Moments later, Rivier failed to fully clear a ball following a USJ charge. The clearing attempt landed right at the feet of sophomore defender Zoe Zappone (Plymouth, Conn.) and she took a long dribble before firing a shot that bounced off the top of the crossbar and out of play to keep the score tied for what would be an eventual draw as the final horn sounded.

NOTES

• The Blue Jays held a sizeable advantage in shots in the match overall, 14-3, including 10-0 in the second half. USJ held a slight edge in shots on goal, 5-2.
• Zup and sophomore forward Alana Picard (Windsor Locks, Conn.) each logged a game-high four shots to lead the Blue Jays' offensive charge.
• Saint Joseph held a slim edge in corner kick opportunities, 4-1.
• USJ's Corcoran faced two shots on goal and made one save in a complete-game effort. She is now 5-2-1 overall between the posts for the Blue Jays on the season.
• Rivier's Nugent made four saves in goal for the Raiders and is now 4-2-1 overall on the year.

UP NEXT

Women's soccer is back in action on Saturday, September 30 for a GNAC match on the road at Regis College in Weston, Mass. Kickoff between the Blue Jays and Pride is set for 1:30 p.m. at Regis Stadium.

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