Behind two first half goals by junior forward Jess Fontaine, the Quinnipiac women’s soccer team downed Maine 3-1 at the QU Soccer Field on Sunday afternoon.

With the win, the Bobcats improve to 4-1-0 on the season, already surpassing last season’s win total of three games.

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“I think it is a whole team effort,” senior goalkeeper Natalia Grodzki said on the feat. “We say it is a 27-player effort. It is a great atmosphere and one of the best team attitudes I have seen in my four years here.”

Quinnipiac took a 1-0 lead 1:25 into the match after junior forward Jess Fontaine scored. Nadya Gill was credited with the assist.

“It was a quick start and I wasn’t expecting us to score a goal early on,” Fontaine said. “Nadya placed one towards the goal and I ended up getting on the other end of it.”

Fontaine’s goal was followed up by freshman Jess Gargan, who found the back of the net for her first goal of the season 5:38 into the match.

“It was a free kick and a scramble in the box,” Gargan said on the goal. “It fell to me and I put it in.”

Later on in the first half, Fontaine was able to score her second goal of the game after getting through in a scramble in the box that was set up by a free kick.

“If we didn’t have players that worked hard for the free kick, then it wouldn’t have happened,” Fontaine said. “It was a full team effort.”

Women’s soccer head coach, David Clarke was pleased to get off to a good start, something his team has lacked this season.

“We have been a second half team. This is the first game that we didn’t trail in the second half,” Clarke said. “To get off to a 3-0 start was unexpected against a very good Maine team. They beat Marist 5-0 and they are one of the top teams in our conference.”

Grodzki, who had five saves in the win, was pleased with being able to play with a sizable lead, as well.

“It is not something that we are used to from the past few years,” Grodzki said. “It is something that we are working on this year and it is nice.”

The Bobcats went on to give up one goal three minutes before halftime, but that was the last time any team scored.

Quinnipiac held Maine to just three shots in the first half, but allowed Maine to attempt 10 shots in the second.

“We got a little hectic in the second half because we aren’t used to having a lead, but it ended up working in the end,” Fontaine said.

“At times we looked frantic and tired in the second half,” Clarke said. “But I would rather be up [3-1] and frantic, than down and pressured. We held on and won and that is something we can build on.”

The Bobcats are back in action Tuesday, when they host Albany at home. Game time is set for 4 p.m.

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