Woodfine and Cesarini score to top Vermont

Woodfine and Cesarini score to top Vermont

By: Taylor Massey, QBSN Staff Writer

With the sun beating down on it, the women’s soccer team battled through the heat to take down American East affiliate the Vermont Catamounts 2-1. Kemesha Woodfine (Stamford, Conn) and Christina Cesarini (Garden City, N.Y.) each contributed a goal for the Bobcats.

Cesarini put the Bobcats on the board 11 minutes into the game. After a struggle for possession in front of the Catamounts net Shauna Edwards (Southington, Conn.) was able to direct the ball to Cesarini who headed the ball past Vermont goalkeeper Morgan Nichols.

Over the next 50 minutes was a grueling struggle for power. Both teams used an aggressive defense, which sent the ball constantly back and forth across the field.

In this time, multiple Bobcats stood out with their efforts in fighting for possession, but the star of today’s defense was junior Beck Kiting (Canberra Australia). Kiting was on top of the ball no matter where it was on the field. Taylor Healey (Milford, Conn.) also played a key role for the Bobcats defense today. In the second half, she became a prominent force on the field chasing after the ball.

“I think we did really well over all,” said Kiting of the Bobcat defense. “We just got to keep going forward and keep building and keep working on it.”

Goalkeeper Jill Kelley (Simsbury, Conn.) also put on an impressive performance with two saves for the game. It seemed likely that she would record her second shutout of the season, but with less than two minutes left Elle Mills of Vermont was able to breakthrough for a goal.

This game had a surprising amount of action from both team’s goalkeepers as they frequently came away from the net to go after the ball.

Woodfine achieved the Bobcats’ game-winning goal just about 20 minutes into the second half. Kelley punted far into the Catamounts’ zone. Amanda Barroca picked it up and then (Bellmore, N.Y.) dodged a Vermont defender to send the ball into the post. Woodfine beat Nichols to the ball and was able to tap it in and extend the lead.

“In the past couple years we’ve tried to play, you know, where aesthetically it looks good and we haven’t won games,” said head coach Dave Clark “Now it’s less about how we play and more about just get the job done.”

The Quinnipiac women’s soccer team moves to 2-0 in non-conference play after defeating Big East competitor Providence last Sunday. It takes to the road for their first away game of the season this Sunday, Sep. 2. They will be traveling to Linda J. Smith stadium to play Holy Cross at 12 p.m.