Today: Mar 29, 2024

Women’s soccer keeps near perfect record after win

Tamonda Griffiths — Editor-in-Chief

In their fifth game of the season and second game against an NE10 opponent, the women’s soccer team earned a 2-0 win against Bentley University on Saturday afternoon.

Head coach Adam Cohen said the team’s overall strategy was to keep control of the ball for as long as possible.

“We’re primarily a possessional style team,” said Cohen, “so that starts from how we play out of the back, so we do want to try and keep the ball.”

The defensive line often passed in front of their own goal; however, they maintained a tight line against Bentley, allowing them only 3 shots on goal in the first half.

The Owls first goal of the game came from midfielder Kaitlyn D’Amico, a sophomore who scored off a rebound with almost 27 minutes left in the first half.

“I try to score – my motivation is to score a goal every game,” said D’Amico. “That’s what I try to do so, made my goal today.”

Following the first goal of the game, several substitutions were made as part of Cohen’s strategy and as a result of the weather.

“We want to keep people healthy throughout the course of the year,” said Cohen, “and today’s pretty hot too.”

The second and final goal of the game was scored by forward, Rossella Graniero, a junior, with an assist from forward, Julia Alicea, a freshman.

For D’Amico and Graniero, these were their second goals of the season.

D’Amico’s first goal of the year was in the first half of the match against St. Thomas Aquinas College on Sept. 8; Graniero’s came when the team took down defending national champions Bridgeport University on Sept. 6.

Throughout the entirety of Saturday’s game, a total of 10 shots were taken on goal against Bentley.

According to Cohen and D’Amico, the team plays soccer as a game of inches.

“It’s a couple of inches off or a couple – or a flick of the head, the littlest, slightest movement could make it go in or not go in [the goal],” said D’Amico.

The team, Cohen said has a lot of “good attacking players,” and while they may not have landed every shot they made, they did, “kept a clean sheet, so we were happy with that.”

Although all the goals were scored during the first half of the game, the aggressiveness of Bentley’s play amped up during the second half.

“Part of it’s the nature of the game,” said Cohen. “They’re losing 2-0, so they got depressed and we have to be able to deal with it at times, and you know, at other times, I think we could have done a better job of keeping the, our end [off the field.]”

Midfielder, Marisa Grisell, a senior, said her role on the team is “definitely more defensive.”

Grisell said even though she may want to play striker, she trusts her coaches decisions and her teammates to do their jobs in their opponents half of the field as well as supporting their side of the field.

“I just have to be in a position every time where I can – I’m in a good position to defend, you know – so I look, and I put myself in a position where I can attack and defend at the same time,” said Grisell.

Photo credit: SOUTHERNNEWS.COM

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