Ben Martin – Sports Editor
The Owls women’s soccer team defeated The Post University on Sunday, September 4, with a score of 3-0.
The Owls had a variety of goal scorers in the game with each goal coming from a different player. The scorers in the game for the Owls were sophomore forward Kylee Slavik, senior back Julia Alicea and freshman forward Nicky Deslauriers.
Slavik put the Owls on the board first in the first half at the 27 minutes of play. The score came on a pass from junior forward Alexie Rosado.
“It was so relieving,” said Slavik. “All my hard work has finally paid off.”
Slavik worked all winter on her skills and built up her confidence to take on players one on one. Additionally, she worked on creating opportunities for herself and her teammates.
Slavik’s goal may have been the first in the game; however, it was not the last one the Owls scored that afternoon. In the second half, the Owls tackled on another two goals.
The first goal of the second half came on a spectacular header by Alicea off a corner kick by graduate student midfielder Taylor Hennig. The point was racked up with 62 minutes played in the game.
“It felt really good to put away a goal at the beginning of the season,” said Alicea. “It gives me more motivation going forward.”
After Alicea’s goal, the Owls added another one just six minutes later. The goal was scored by freshman forward Deslauriers. It came off a pass in front of the goal by fellow scoring teammate Slavik.
“It felt good to score my first goal,” Deslauriers said. “I feel like I’m getting well with the team and our style of play.”
Coming into the game, the Owls were 1-2 and came off a crushing 7-2 defeat at the hands of The Mercy College Mavericks. In that game, Mercy had two players that each scored two goals.
Due to those circumstances, the Owls came into the game with a mix of nervousness and excitement Alicea said. Overall, the team had high energy according to Slavik, which made them ready to play a game they needed to win.
“We knew what we are capable of and were looking to tap into our identity as a team again,” Alicea said.
Winning against Post did not only even up SCSU’s win and loss totals, but it served as a momentum swing for the team. Alicea said, “It gave us that extra motivation and positivity we needed heading into conference games.”
The Owls start conference play tomorrow September 10th as they travel to Vermont to play The Saint Michael’s College Purple Knights. Last year, the Owls had a record of 5-5-3 in conference play which meant they were in the middle of the pack. However, they are looking to improve that in conference record this season.
The Owls have another NE10 matchup this week on Tuesday at The Pace University Setters in New York. The women matched up against Pace once last season and won that game 2-1. The two consecutive in conference matchups make the Owls come back with a positive result.
As the Owls get into NE10, the games mean more for their chance at getting into the playoffs. That heightened importance has the team fired up and ready to go.
“We have a lot of momentum and excitement that’s coming from our last win; we cannot wait to keep them coming,” Slavik said.
Photo Credits: Luke Molwitz
