By Maddy Lanning, Staff Writer
The Susquehanna women’s soccer team picked up a pivotal 3-1 victory over Landmark Conference-foe Drew University on senior night at Sassafras Field on Nov. 2. The victory pushed the team into the top spot in the Landmark Conference.
Going into the game knowing they have a title to defend, the River Hawks were ready to put up a fight.
The game began by recognizing the six seniors on the team: defender Nikki Ganiaris, forward Hayley Steinmetz and midfielders Alee Pettit, Katie Beluch, Jenny Charles and Carly Ackerina.
These players all played key roles for the team through the years and were ready to reel in another win before the regular season ended.
The River Hawks, however, started off a bit slow against Drew, entering halftime with the game scoreless on both sides.
Despite the slow half, Susquehanna held a 5-1 advantage in shots in addition to a 7-1 advantage in corner kicks.
Freshman midfielder Gillian Maack broke the silence after finishing off a pass from sophomore forward Anna Werner in the 47th minute. The goal marked Maack’s fifth of the season.
“Being able to help the team obtain another win, especially on senior night is awesome,” Maack said.
Sophomore defender Marley Clendenin fired in another goal for the River Hawks at the 79th minute, leaving Susquehanna up 2-0 with just minutes to go. The goal marked Clendenin’s second of the season.
Drew avoided a blowout by the River Hawks with junior midfielder Julia Caracappa scoring on a pass from senior midfielder Sydney Ziemba.
This shot would just miss the fingertips of junior goalie Madi Welliver, putting Drew on the board and the score at 2-1 in favor of Susquehanna.
Not long after though, Werner took the ball all the way downfield to the penalty box and fired in the last shot of the contest for the River Hawks to extend the score yet again.
“This win was one for the books, and definitely got us more excited for the semifinals,” Werner said.
The victory marked the River Hawks’ fifth consecutive win and their fourth non-shutout victory of the season.
Werner ended the game with a goal, an assist and five shots with Welliver putting up three saves for the duration of the game. The River Hawks ended regular season play at 6-1-0 in the league and at the number one seed in the Landmark Conference.
Following the win over Drew to conclude regular season play, Susquehanna hosted Catholic at home on Wednesday, Nov. 7 in the Landmark Conference semi-finals, coming out on top and scoring a thrilling victory in a penalty shootout to advance to the Landmark final.
Early on, both teams fought hard and the game was closely contested, as the score remained tied at zero through the first 45 minutes of play. During the first half, Susquehanna held a slight 4-3 advantage in shots over Catholic.
In the second half, the River Hawks had a 4-1 advantage in shots, but once again, neither team could find the back of the net and the game headed to overtime.
With no scoring taking place in two overtime periods, a penalty shootout was needed to decide a winner.
Werner got things started, as she connected on her first shot. Junior Olivia Parke then found the back of the net as well. Catholic eventually tied the shootout up 2-2, but sophomore defender Marley Clendenin scored to take back the lead before Welliver secured the victory with a pivotal save.
Susquehanna will now look to cap off an impressive season in emphatic fashion, as the team will take on the University of Scranton on Saturday, Nov. 9at 1 p.m. on Sassafras Field in Selinsgrove, Pa. The winner will be deemed the 2019 Landmark Conference champions.