Stony Brook senior defender Hannah Groth sent a corner kick into the six-yard box that fellow senior forward Lindsay Hutchinson found. Hutchinson’s shot was cleared off but the ball came straight to midfielder Lea Kalmbach, who side-footed it, flying it past Wagner goalie Jessica Wilm to the back of the net. It was Kalmbach’s first goal of the season, 17 minutes into the match.
“The ball just came to my feet,” Kalmbach said. “And the only thought I had was just shoot.”
Stony Brook Women’s Soccer played Wagner Sunday afternoon, starting the game with Kalmbach’s unassisted goal. Stony Brook also outshot Wagner 11-1. Autumn Clark had Wagner’s lone shot on goal, but it was easily denied by Stony Brook’s goalie Cara Gallagher, who largely went unchallenged throughout the game.
Stony Brook Head Coach Brendan Faherty was not satisfied with the game’s first period, though. “Our spacing wasn’t very good. I thought we were just settling for stuff,” Faherty said. “So, at halftime, that’s what we addressed: Can we be cleaner on the ball? Can we be more patient on the attack?”
Stony Brook, fresh off an overtime thriller victory against Delaware on Friday night, succeeded in earning their third win of the season.
“Friday night’s a lot of work and a lot of energy,” Faherty said. “It was an emotional game. We come from behind. We win. It was a little lull today.But I do think Sunday games on college soccer are tough.”
The team responded in the second period though as it dominated ball possession for longer periods of time.
The star of the game was junior forward Manuela Corcho.. She found the back of the net on the 77th minute to score her first goal of the season. It was Kalmbach in midfield that challenged a goal kick, giving Corcho possession of the loose ball. Corcho sent the ball past Wilm, providing the Seawolves with a two-goal lead, with Kalmbach earning the assist.
Corcho’s second goal merely eight minutes after her first was more impressive, though. This time, it was senior Priscilla Wiggins that gave Corcho the opportunity. Wiggins attempted to clear from the other side of the field and Corcho found the ball in midfield with just one Wagner defender standing in her way. Corcho drove passed the defender and tapped the ball into the opposite corner of the net.
“I was like ‘I gotta beat this girl,” Corcho said, chuckling. “There was that one defender chasing me. I just wanted to get past her.”
The team is looking for a third consecutive win, which is something that hasn’t happened since 2013. After the weekend’s games, Stony Brook improved its record to 3-5-2.
“I’m excited about where we are after this weekend,” Coach Faherty said. “I think [Fairleigh Dickinson University] will be another new challenge. That’s kinda where our focus is right now.”
The FDU Knights took a trip to the NCAA Tournament College Cup last year but lost in the first round while Albany‘s Great Danes won the American East Conference. Stony Brook will play both on the road in the following two weeks.
Comments are closed.