The College of Staten Island women’s soccer team rebounded nicely against Rosemont College this afternoon with a 1-0 win in Rosemont, PA. The win improves the Dolphins to 7-3-1 overall and halts their losing skid at two games.
The Ravens had the Dolphins on their heels to start the game and were able to rifle off the first four shots of the game forcing Kaila DiBenedetto to make one save and watch the other three fly by her goal. The Dolphins would settle in and go on their own offensive attack which was started when Natalia Sandor placed a corner kick onto the head of Stephanie LaPointe who saw her chance go wide of goal.
Rosemont would come screaming back down the pitch and hold possession of the ball in the Dolphins’ final third. The Ravens were able to secure four corner kicks in a 10 minute span but were unable to capitalize on any of their chances. In the 28th minute both Susan Aracena and Daniela Zirpolo came onto the pitch and ignited the Dolphins in a positive way. It only took six minutes for them to make an impact in the game. That impact was a goal that would prove to be the deciding factor in the Dolphins picking up a win. Zirpolo would see her initial chance careen off of the post and fall to the foot of Aracena. Aracena was then able to pick up her head and find Zirpolo for an easy tap-in for her first goal of the season.
The second half would see less action than the first as both teams used a variety of subs to try and spark their team. Maraya Jones started between the pipes in the second have for Staten Island and was able to keep a clean sheet while recording three saves. Victoria Sanchez nearly doubled up the Dolphins lead with a chance on goal that forced Teagan Dawson to make a save. Colleen Hall came on in the second half for the Ravens and was almost a difference maker late in the game. Hall cannoned a shot off of the post in the 86th minute of play which would have tied the game up.
Staten Island was able to regroup and prevent the Ravens from putting the ball in the back of the net as they played strong defensive soccer for the remainder of the game.
The Dolphins return to action on Tuesday, October 3 where they will travel to Madison, NJ to take on FDU-Florham in a non-conference game.