Luke Gadson – Sports Editor
The Adelphi Panthers got the best of the Owls in a hard-fought battle on Friday at Jess Dow Field. It was a fast start for the Owls, scoring first, but the Panthers scored four unanswered goals to end the first quarter. The Owls showed no signs of quitting, as they scored two goals in the second quarter and held Adelphi to zero. The Owls scored a goal in the second half, but it wasn’t enough, as the Panthers scored twice to bring the game to a final score of 6-4.
Midfielder Tori Geaglone, a graduate student, was a force the entire game for the Owls, scoring twice on two shots on goal. Geaglone also assisted on a goal in the match.
“I’m really proud of every single person, on and off the field. We just gave it our all, and little pieces started to connect from our forwards to the defense, and even the sideline. We were just coming together as a team and it shows on the field,” said Geaglone.
Having an impact on the match as well was midfielder Trinidad Rodriguez Ricchiuti, a junior, who also scored twice on three shots on goal. Goalkeeper Rachel Miller, a freshman, ended the game with three saves.
“We played together, and we stayed together. And even though it is not reflected by the score, I consider it a win and I hope we keep going out with this energy in the games to come,” said Ricchiuti.
Head Coach Kelley Frassinelli expressed her pride in the way the Owls stayed in the game, despite being down early.
“We really competed. They fought and battled back down three goals, which was an unbelievable game to watch. A lot of fun, but they fought back and persisted. So that will be one of the things we are super proud of with the work that they did,” said Frassinelli.
As the Owls prepare to face more difficult NE10 opponents, their energy is a key component that they want to carry into their following conference games.
“We definitely have to work on some things, but we need to continue with our intensity, working together, and our communication,” said Ricchiuti.
Frassinelli stressed this idea to her team after the match as she said, “What we talk about afterwards, is taking what we did in this game, and we have to start that way in the next one. Just making sure that energy is there, the connections, and the support, the things we are doing well now.”
With this loss, the Owls’ overall record moves to 5-8, while their conference record is now 4-5. The Owls will be looking to pick up a win and break their losing streak when they travel to Bentley University to take on the Falcons in a conference matchup on Wednesday, Oct. 18th.
