Photo by Abigail MacMillan
By Anthony Heller
SELINSGROVE, Pa., 7 September
On Wednesday night, the Susquehanna women’s soccer team came from a goal down to defeat the Dickinson Red Devils for the first time in program history after three previous defeats.
Coming off an impressive victory against Delaware Valley, head coach Nick Hoover opted for just a single change to that side, reintroducing first-year goalkeeper Paisley Tornatore, who replaced Carlie Marquette between the sticks. The River Hawks started brightly, with Mikela Florio seeing an opportunity fall her way in the early minutes, before Dickinson grew gradually into the game as Meg Tate unleashed the half’s only shot on target, a strike from distance that went straight at Tornatore.
Late in the first period, Olivia Swartz nearly got on the end of a set-piece delivery from Marley Clendenin, with the cross taking a deflection on its way, as she put a close-range effort wide of the mark.
After a goalless first half, Dickinson snatched the lead from a scramble in the penalty area, Tornatore making a save before being left stranded as Tate poked into an empty net on 52 minutes. Only two minutes later did Susquehanna equalize, a deflected cross from Marley Sprenkel taken down and finished expertly by senior midfielder Gillian Maack to equalize.
Susquehanna had energy after Maack found the net, as Emily Wertz came close and was denied by goalkeeper Sophia Kavulich, before Swartz was denied on a low drive from the edge of the box. Both sides continued to press for a winner, with the three River Hawk center-backs, Clendenin and first-years Chloe Michaels and Emma Eberle, holding their line to keep out the Red Devils’ potent attacking threat.
Susquehanna found their winner just three minutes from time, after Wertz won a throw-in, cleverly took it quickly for the advancing wing-back Ellie Betheil to lay on a cross for Sprenkel to fire into the roof of the net from close range for a dramatic winner. Susquehanna pick up a second win from three, as they travel next to Virginia for the weekend, taking on championship holders No. 1 Christopher Newport on Saturday and then Virginia Wesleyan the next day.
Their next home clash is on September 14th, when Wilkes University visit Sassafras Field to take on the surging River Hawks.
