Syracuse, N.Y. – The Le Moyne College women's soccer team were defeated 2-1 against Iona at Ted Grant Field.
"Today was a hard fought game and we have a lot to be proud of," said head coach
Taylor Van Fleet. "We are sticking to our process and trusting that the results will come."
Le Moyne (0-2-0)
Starters: McPheron (GK), Brown, Day, McMahon, Cookinham, Lathrop, Vigliotti, Devito, Gillen, Cutuli, Eggertsdottir
Iona (2-0-0)
Starters: Kalbaugh (GK), Daniel, Barker, Misiolek, Peracchio, Jones, Bigeni, Smith, Graziano, Davis, Hegazi
Recap:
The first half began with both teams establishing their defensive presence. Le Moyne's freshman defender
Ellie McMahon (Camillus, N.Y./West Genesee) attempted a shot in the 12
th minute, but it was saved by Iona's goalkeeper, Kayla Kalbaugh. Junior
Mikayla McPheron (Rome, N.Y./Rome Free Academy), in goal for Le Moyne, also made a critical save in the 34
th minute to deny Iona's Victoria Ryan.
Junior forward
Alivia Day (Rochester, N.Y./Rush-Henrietta) received the first yellow card of the game in the 17
th minute of the game. The Dolphins defense continued to hold firm, with freshman midfielder
Callie Gillen (Archbald, Pa./Valley View) registering a shot on target in the 30
th minute, yet Kalbaugh was again up to the task. As the half closed, neither team managed to break the deadlock, leaving the score tied at 0-0.
The second half commenced with the 'Phins looking to shift the momentum in its favor. Despite making several attempts on goal, including shots by sophomore midfielder
Ella Lathrop (Walworth, N.Y./Ruben A. Cirillo) and junior forward
Nicole Calle (Providence, R.I./Cumberland), Le Moyne were unable to find the back of the net. Day received her second yellow card of the game in the 60
th minute, leading to a red card as Le Moyne went down to 10 players.
Iona took advantage in the 65
th minute with a goal by Dolene Smith off the bottom of the crossbar, assisted by Daija Jones and Mikayla Thompson.
Le Moyne continued to press forward, with McPheron making crucial saves to keep Le Moyne in the game. However, Iona extended its advantage in the 84
th minute through Natalia Arango. As the Dolphins controlled possession on the ensuing kickoff, they earned a free kick outside of the box. Freshman
Emma Sousa (East Longmeadow, Mass./East Longmeadow) stepped up to take the free kick, hitting it up and over the wall and into the top left corner to make the score 2-1.
The game finished 2-1, as Sousa scored the first goal of the season for the 'Phins. McPheron played all 90 minutes in goal, making five saves from 13 shots faced. McMahon contributed with a shot on goal, adding offensive pressure. Gillen took three shots, with one on target, as she actively sought scoring opportunities.
"We got better from Thursday to Sunday," said Van Fleet. "If we continue that trend, we have everything we need to be successful this season."
What's Next:
In their next game, the Dolphins will host Niagara University on Thursday, Aug. 20. The matchup is set to take place at Ted Grant Field.
