BUFFALO, NY…Junior striker Kerri Clarkson (Colden, NY/Springville) scored her second goal of the game with 2:36 remaining in double overtime as Medaille College overcame a second half comeback and edged New Jersey City University, 3-2, in round one of the Medaille College Tournament.
Medaille improves to 4-0 overall with the victory, while NJCU drops to 1-2. Medaille led 2-0, before NJCU scored twice in the second half, including the tying goal with 1:13 remaining in regulation. The Gothic Knights outshot Medaille, 24-17. It was the first meeting between the schools in women’s soccer, and the first appearance in a tournament by NJCU since 1998.
Senior defender Maggie Wilcox (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool) gave the Mavericks a 1-0 lead at 9:00 of the first half, off an assist from freshman midfielder Melyssa Tollar (West Seneca, NY/West Seneca East), which held up, as Medaille maintained a 1-0 advantage at the half.
The Mavericks increased their lead at 52:09, as Clarkson netted a pass from sophomore midfielder Koryn Walker (Rochester, NY/Bishop Kearney).
However, NJCU battled back, and sophomore forward
KELLY DALY (Bayonne, NJ/Bayonne), who entered the week ranking tied for first in the nation in goals per game and second in points per contest, struck for her fifth goal of the season at 66:26, as sophomore midfielder
TARA LAKE (Bayonne, NJ/Holy Family Academy) found her on the left wing with a feed inside the six.
With time winding down, senior midfielder Senior
CARINE CARVALHEIRO (Newark, NJ/Newark-East Side), the all-time leading scorer in school history knotted the score at 2-2 with her second tally of the year, as she buried a shot from the top of box inside the upper right corner at 88:47, with an assist from sophomore midfielder
KATIE FEEHAN (Manasquan, NJ/Wall).
The tandem of Carvalheiro-Daly-Feehan-Lake has combined for all 10 goals scored by NJCU so far this season.
After the two clubs played a scoreless first overtime, it appeared the game would end in a tie with moments remaining in the second extra session.
However, at 107:24, Clarkson gained possession of a clear near midfield, dribbled half the length of the field, and beat two defenders. After regaining possession off an attempted NJCU steal, she rifled in an unassisted goal for the winner.
Sophomore goalkeeper
ADRIELE DaSILVA (Newark, NJ/Newark-East Side) was solid in net, stopping 13 shots for NJCU. Senior keeper
Lindsey Kennedy (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool) set aside 11 shots for Medaille.
NJCU will meet Daeman College in the Medaille Tournament on Sunday, September 11 at 1pm. The game will be only the fourth neutral site game in school history and the first since 1998.
—www.njcugothicknights.com—
