Halfway through every semester at Quinnipiac, students are given midterm exams. The same is true for sports teams, although the material they are graded on is extremely different.
The women’s soccer team is halfway through their season after the game against the University of Vermont was canceled due to the inclement weather. Despite their record of two wins and six losses, the Bobcats are on top of the standings in the North Eastern Conference. The women’s report card consists of three categories; offense, defense and goal keeping.
On offense, the Bobcats have scored nine goals on the season coming into October’s games. Senior Elisa Goncalves leads all scorers with three goals coming from sixteen shots. Cristina Salamone scored one goal this season, which was the eventual winning goal in a 2-0 win over Robert Morris. Melissa Ganias leads the Bobcats with three assists. As a team, Quinnipiac has a 1.12 goals per game average while recording roughly seven shots on goal per game. If the women’s soccer team wants to continue their recent success, they need to find the back of their opponent’s goal more often.
Cristina Salamone, the Quinnipiac Female Athlete of the Month for September, and company look to increase that average in upcoming games against Fairleigh Dickinson, Monmouth, and Yale. The task might be harder than expected. FDU goalies have given up only three goals in their past four games. Monmouth has allowed just five goals all season, while Yale has posted four shutouts to date.
Overall, the offense’s midseason grade is a B.
The Bobcats defense, statistically, tends to be stronger in the first half then it does in the second half of games. Quinnipiac defenders have allowed more shots on goal and goals scored in the second half of games this year then they had in the first half. In the past games against Saint Francis, Robert Morris, and FDU, Quinnipiac defenders allowed just eighteen shots on goal.
The defense, however, is extremely patient. Opponents have committed seventy nine fouls against the Bobcats. In soccer, the temptation is great to repay the other team for these infractions. The Bobcats however, have only received five yellow cards and have not recorded a single red card all season.
Overall, the defense’s midseason grade is a B+.
In only her first season of college soccer, Heather Zaccone is starting to prove that she can be one of the top goalies in the Northeastern Conference. Quinnipiac lost their first six games of the season, in which they were outscored 19-6 during that stretch. Since the Bobcats started Conference play, Zaccone has yet to allow a goal. She has three shutouts in three games against St. Francis, Robert Morris, and FDU, all conference opponents. The Bobcats are 2-0-1 in NEC play. During those games, Zaccone lowered her goals against average to 2.11. She is quickly approaching the 50 saves mark, as she currently has 45 stops on the season.
Overall, the goalie’s mid-season grade is a B+.
