Women's Soccer Kicks Off The 2019 Campaign With A Victory Over Yeshiva

Women's Soccer Kicks Off The 2019 Campaign With A Victory Over Yeshiva

New York, NY- The Women's Soccer team started their 2019 season on the right foot as they earned a 4-2 victory over the Yeshiva University Maccabees (0-1). Juniors Grace Roach (Hutchinson, MN) and Will Memeus (Everett, MA) each tallied their first points of the season, as Roach nabbed two goals and an assist, while Memeus dished out two assists in the victory. Freshman forward Olivia Sullivan (Milford, MA) scored her first career goals as a Falcon, notching two, along with an assist to help lead the way as well.

Coach Julian Crowder's squad put the pressure on the Maccabees right away as Sullivan ripped a shot on goal at the 2:04 mark, but Yeshiva's keeper Shani Kravetz denied her to keep it a 0-0 game. The Falcons kept the ball in the Maccabees end though, and Sullivan would get the best of Kravetz at the 6:43 mark, knocking a ball in the net on a nice feed from Roach from the left side of the pitch to make it a 1-0 game. 

The Falcons controlled the ball over the next 10 minutes of play until Yeshiva earned its first shot on goal from Malky Perlberger, but it sailed high off a Falcon for the Maccabees first corner kick. The Fisher defense, led by Jillian DeLorey (Tampa, FL) and Sarah Graefe (Windermere, FL), kept the ball out of their net, feeding it up the field for the offense. Memeus was able to gain control of the ball off the clear and sailed it across the front of the net from the left side, allowing Sullivan to knock it past Kravetz for her second goal of the game 18 minutes into the contest. 

The Maccabees, who are now 0-4 lifetime against the Falcons, responded with some aggressive play despite being in an early 2-0 hole as the next four shots of the game were from Yeshiva. Falcons keeper Kassie Lima (Boston, MA), denied three of the four, making some nice saves to keep her team ahead 2-0. The Falcons answered with four shots of their own with hopes to give them a three goal lead. But again, Kravetz made a nice save, denying a strong shot from Meghan Menzel (Big Rock, IL).

With 32:48 on the clock, Yeshiva got on the board after a Falcons foul earned the home team a free kick. A quick and explosive shot from Elizabeth Pavel snuck by Lima, giving the home team some life, now trailing by just one goal. The Falcons quickly responded with two shots on net from Menzel and Memeus, but the two teams would head to halftime with the Falcons leading 2-1.

The second half action was slower to develop as there was only one shot on goal over the first 20 minutes of the second half, a low one from Roach, but not enough on it, giving Kravetz her sixth save of the contest. The Falcons found their way in the Maccabees end in the 63rd minute though and took advantage. After a Falcons corner kick failed to go in off of a Sullivan shot, Memeus kept the ball in the offensive zone, feeding a ball to Roach from the top of the box for her first goal of the game, putting the visitors up 3-1 with 64:53 on the clock.

Perlberger made it a one-goal deficit just minutes later when she finished a cross from Dafna Levine to make it 3-2 after 68 minutes of play. The score would remain the same for the next 20 minutes, bringing with it some physical play as each team vying for the season opening victory. The home team had a scoring opportunity in the 86th minute when Yeshiva's Elizabeth Pavel fired a shot to the bottom left of the net, but Lima snagged it to retain her team's late lead. They followed it up with a corner kick but could not finish, giving the Falcons the ball with just under three minutes left to play. Sullivan played the ball up the middle of the field and was patient enough to allow Roach to make a run through the box, feeding her a beautiful ball to seal the 4-2 victory, and giving both Sullivan and Roach their 5th points of the match. 

The Falcons finished with 10 shots on goal on 16 attempts, allowing eight shots on goal from the Maccabees. Lima, in her first start in goal, finished with six saves for her first career victory.

Fisher will remain in New York and will face off against Pratt Institute (0-0) tomorrow at 12pm.