The College of Staten Island women’s soccer squad won for the second straight time and improved their conference mark to a perfect 3-0, scoring late and holding on in a 1-0 win over City College of New York earlier this afternoon at the CSI Soccer Complex.  The win lifted the Dolphins to 6-2 overall and 4-0 on their home turn while the visiting Beavers fell to 2-4 overall and 1-2 in CUNYAC play.

The sheet stayed clean for over 64 minutes before CSI leading scorer Demi-Jean Martorano, the nation’s second leading scorer, tallied her 12th marker of the season at 64:59 to put CSI on top in the only goal it would need.  Martorano buried it on a shot from the CCNY keeper Nicole Carroll’s right side on a corner kick feed from freshman Melissa Gelardi, who tallied her NCAA Division III leading 10th assist of the year.

It wasn’t easy for the Dolphins, who only registered 9 shots on goal on 20 overall, often settling for long-range bombs as CCNY’s defensive wall kept punishing CSI attackers who made runs.  The same was true for CCNY, as despite some spirited runs at goal the visitors tallied just seven total shots with only two on goal, often seeing CSI keeper Samantha Wysokowski track down lead-ball passes in the box before CCNY attackers come engage.

The teams, however, squandered golden opportunities in the first half via penalty shots.  After a hard foul in the box, CSI was awarded a penalty shot just six minutes in that could have changed the entire flow of the game.  Instead, Lauren Neglia’s shot sailed high of the crossbar and the Beavers could breathe easier.  CCNY, however, returned the favor.  With just 7:14 left in the frame, the Beavers got themselves a penalty shot of their own, but Unique Newman’s blast on goal was turned away by Wysokowski, who made the game’s best save, and kept the 0-0 tie in tact going into halftime.

From there, both teams set up time in the other’s box, but it was CSI that ultimately broke through on the lining rocket struck by Martorano that left little chance for Carroll to make a play.

CSI held the final edge in shots at 20-7 (9-2 on goal), and with corner kicks at 3-1.  CSI did commit 18 fouls to CCNY’s two, and a pair of yellow card bookings were issued to CSI’s Gabriela Galeano (84:07) and Liana DeNaro (86:54).

CSI will be back in action on Tuesday, September 27, when they travel to face New York University.