The Saint Rose women’s soccer team secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory against Franklin Pierce on Saturday, in a clash between two ranked Northeast-10 rivals.
Graduate midfielder Elina Seppala scored the only goal of the game from a penalty kick, as the No. 3-ranked Golden Knights avenged their defeat to the No. 14-ranked Ravens from last season.
“As a returning player, it meant a lot to me to go there and beat them on their home turf,” said Saint Rose star junior forward Mia Klammer.
“We went into that game with the mindset that we were not leaving the field unless we won,” added senior midfield/back Jada Brown.
From the outset, both teams displayed their defensive prowess in a highly-anticipated contest.
The Ravens effectively nullified the visiting team’s early offensive efforts, constantly pressuring Mia Klammer whenever she had the ball.
Led by freshman midfielder Piper Klammer, Mia’s sister, Saint Rose continued to apply pressure down the left and right flanks, but struggled to create clear opportunities in the early stages. The Ravens’ defense successfully repelled all of the Golden Knights’ threats, including five corner kicks in the first half alone.
“Our forwards generated some promising chances, exerting significant pressure on Franklin Pierce,” commented coach Laurie Darling Gutheil.
The second half witnessed early opportunities for both teams, as the intensity on and off the pitch intensified. The game became more physical, with each team committing seven fouls in the second half and a combined total of 23 fouls throughout the match (11 for Saint Rose, 12 for Franklin Pierce).
“Even from the stands, you could feel the atmosphere,” said sophomore goalkeeper Pia Bozic. “The crowd became really loud towards the end, but that actually motivated us to perform even better.”
“It’s a very tough place to play…an excellent away win,” praised Gutheil. “The girls played exceptionally well in a hostile environment.”
In the 68th minute, the Golden Knights finally got their breakthrough when they were awarded a penalty kick after Franklin Pierce committed a handball in the box.
Initially, the penalty kick taker for Saint Rose was unclear, but after a brief discussion, Seppala confidently stepped up and calmly fired the ball past the keeper.
“We all knew that Seppala would be the most confident to take the penalty, given her focused mindset and ability to ignore distractions,” said Mia Klammer. “So, we all looked at her with confidence, knowing that she would convert it.”
Determined to find an equalizer, Franklin Pierce relentlessly pressured the Golden Knights’ defense throughout the final 20 minutes of the game. However, Bozic stood firm in goal and produced a solid display, securing a clean sheet with four saves.
“Once the game starts, it’s just a game,” remarked Bozic. “I didn’t pay too much attention to external factors.”
“Pia performed exceptionally well in goal,” praised Gutheil.
This victory is yet another testament to the team’s daily hard work paying off.
“Our last five games have been challenging, and as we continue to win and progress, we have so much more room to grow and understand each other,” said Brown. “But we have a solid foundation this year, and I think we’re in for a great season.”
Next up for Saint Rose are two home games against NE-10 opponents at the Plumeri Sports Complex in Albany. They will face Saint Michael’s on Tuesday at 6 p.m., followed by a match against Southern Connecticut State on Saturday at 1 p.m.
“After last night’s game and our previous matches, we know that we can’t underestimate anyone this year,” warned Mia Klammer. “Especially as returning players, we understand that we can’t overlook Saint Michael’s. We have to approach the game with the same intensity and energy we had against Franklin yesterday.”
Denial of responsibility! Vigour Times is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
