By Tre Shuttlesworth, Staff Writer
Coming off of their first losing streak, the Susquehanna women’s soccer team (12–3– 2) would regain their composure heading into Landmark Conference playoffs in a 1–0 victory against Drew (6–9–3) Saturday, Oct. 27.
A persistent offensive effort combined with a protective defense would contribute to the win, with a 66th minute goal from senior forward Emily Sullivan sealing the victory.
The game would begin with multiple shots from both the River Hawks and Rangers, each team recorded three in the first 10 minutes. Each defense stood their ground for the remainder of the first half, with only one shot in the following half hour.
In the second half, Sullivan scored her fourth goal of the season and dribbled past the Drew defense, tucking a shot inside the right goal post.
Susquehanna led in shots with 13 shots overall compared to Drew’s eight. Drew struggled to create many productive chance and only recorded two shots on goal.
The River Hawks had several players leading the offensive front. Sullivan led the way with her three shots and one goal. Other support came from junior forward Julia Hutsko with four shots, including three on target, and senior forward Kate Cantrell’s two shots.
Sophomore goalkeeper Madison Welliver was well protected by a strong Susquehanna defense and recorded her 11th shutout this season. Welliver made two saves in the match.
Corner kick opportunities came at a premium, with Susquehanna creating only four corner chances compared to Drew’s one.
The match saw a fair amount of fouls throughout the competition. Susquehanna committed eight fouls to Drew’s 10 on the day. The only carded offense came in the 65th minute to Hutsko.
The River Hawks won the Landmark Conference semifinal match 2–0 against Catholic on Tuesday, Oct. 30.
The River Hawks had an early scare just three minutes into play when the Cardinals threatened to score.
Welliver made a quick reaction to prevent Catholic from getting on the board.
Freshman Anna Werner scored a goal with an assist from junior midfielder Alee Petit in the 54th minute to give the River Hawks a 1–0 advantage.
Six minutes later, Werner assisted Sullivan who kicked the second goal of the night into the upper right corner of the net.
Catholic saw a deflected shot hit the outside of the post, but it was not enough to get on the board and the score stayed 2–0.
The strong defensive effort and Welliver’s performance secured the victory for the River Hawks.
Welliver recorded four saves and picked off several long balls and Cardinal crosses.
Werner led the offense with five shots. Cantrell, freshman defender Marley Clendenin, and Sullivan added two.
Susquehanna returns to action at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 3 as they head to Scranton and look to become Landmark Conference Champions.