The women’s soccer team has been on fire as of late, going unbeaten in their last five games.
As September came to a close, the women’s soccer team held a record of three wins, six losses, and one tie (at this time last season, the team was 2-6.) The month of October would be a different story.
Quinnipiac and St. Peters faced off in what became an extremely physical match. There were 26 total fouls in the game, 16 by the Peacocks and ten by the Bobcats. St. Peters players threw the occasional elbow when the ref’s back was turned to the action, but with two seconds in the game, a yellow card was eventually given to one of their forwards. After giving up a goal (scored from in between the midfield line and the top of the goalie box) sophomore goal tender Sarah Lusto of Saylorsburg, Pa. shut the Peacocks down in the second half. Freshman Kirsten van de Ven of Heesch, Holland hit an absolute rocket past a hopeless goalie for her forth goal of the season. Later in the second half, van de Ven was drilled in the stomach with the ball. Unfazed, she took a second to recover, got the ball from sophomore Leandra Price of Bridgewater, N.J. and notched her fifth goal of the season, and the eventual game winner.
Following the game against St. Peters, the Bobcats hit a slump. They lost 3 out of 4, and managed to salvage a tie with the Sacred Heart Pioneers. After a 3-2 loss to St. Francis University, the team began to turn their season around.
In a game against the Robert Morris Colonials, Kirsten van de Ven lit up the scoreboard again, as she blasted three goals in the win. The three goals accounted for Kirsten’s first hat trick in college play. Both Megan Germain and Kellie Buccini were credited with assists on two of Kirsten’s goals.
The standout freshman struck again the following game, scoring the lone goal in a shutout win against the Bobcat’s rival, the Central Connecticut Blue Devils. Sophomore goalie, Heather Zaccone recorded her second shutout of the season and Cristina Salamone was credited with her first assist on the season.
The winning streak continued when the Monmouth Hawks rolled into town, as Kate Ahearn and Ashley Lockwood scored goals to lift the Bobcats to a 2-1 win. van de Ven was credited with an assist on both of the goals scored, raising her season total to seven (van de Ven has a total of ten goals and nine assists going into the Bobcats final game against Wagner. She also leads the conference in goals scored.).
Senior Day brought some tears as Quinnipiac honored their four seniors Jamie Ahearn, Megan Germain, Kelly McWilliam and Kellie Buccini. The winning streak didn’t stop there. Kate Ahearn and Kacie Cellino both scored to lift the Bobcats to a 2-1 win over Mount Saint Mary’s. The win improved the Bobcats’ record to 7-8-1, but more importantly, improved their standings in the NEC to 4-2-1.
In last Friday’s game against Long Island University, the Bobcats managed to extend their unbeaten streak, but snapped their wining streak in the process. Kate Ahearn scored again. Buccini was credited with her second assist on the season, as the Bobcats battled the Blackbirds to a 1-1 tie.
The Bobcats recent run of success has found them ranked fourth in the NEC. As Fairleigh Dickinson, Central Connecticut and Sacred Heart have all clinched post season births, Quinnipiac looks to extend their season as they face Wagner in a game that could determine their playoff position.
