By Taylor Konyk
Elm Staff Writer
Passion, heart, composure—that’s what you’ll see when you watch the Washington College Shorewomen take the soccer field. Late Wednesday night, the Shorewomen shutout the Immaculata Mighty Macs in a game that appeared mostly one-sided.
Pitted against a desperate team, the Shorewomen responded and found the score sheet 51 minutes into the match, giving them a 1-0 lead, and would later tack on another to win 2-0. While scoring didn’t pick up until the second half, the Shorewomen dominated the first half in possession and shots on goal—a much needed effort after being shut out twice in the previous two tilts.
So what was the difference maker?
“We were more inspired today,” said game-winner Suzanne Patinella.
“We were doing [this] for a teammate,” said head coach Kanute Drugan after the game.
The Shorewomen battled the Mighty Macs without one of their own, who was out with an illness, forcing each girl to step up their game to secure the victory.
The Shorewomen certainly felt the pressure of falling into three-game losing streak—a less than ideal start to their season.
“We dominated play in the last two games,” Drugan said speaking proudly of the team’s determination, but mentioned that the women at times failed to execute against their opportunities.
Despite the pressure, the girls relentlessly attacked the Mighty Macs by outshooting them 28 to eight, and getting goals from sophomore Suzanne Patinella and senior Katie Bradley. In fact, had it not been for the Immaculata’s goalie Meghan McCurnin, the score could have easily been a mirror image of the Shorewomen’s season opener (a 5-0 shellacking over Cedar Crest).
The tilt, however, would require more than lightning fast offense to seal the deal. The defense, led by captain Gabby Antalffy and backed by sophomore goalie Rebecca Potochney, made key stops during the game. While the Shorewomen controlled the ball much of the game, the Mighty Macs gained possession 11 times due to penalty. Moreover, the Shorewomen fended off five corner kicks.
Immaculata’s best opportunity came around the 43 minute mark, when Potochney failed to smother the ball on a break-away.
The ball drifted behind Potochney, and the IU attacker found herself gazing at a seemingly open-net. In a heroic effort to keep the game tied at zero going into the half, Antalffy raced toward her net to boot the ball out of play, stopping play and bailing her team out.
Keeping the game tied and eliminating the Macs best scoring chance paid dividends for the Shorewomen going into halftime.
While the Shorewomen’s offensive chances were many, so too were their fouls. The Shorewomen racked up 11 fouls to Immaculata’s four, causing WC to defend more than they needed to, but the players responded well to the pressure.
“I told them we’re too hyped up… we need to keep our composure,” Drugan said of his half-time speech.
Clearly, the Shorewomen embraced his message as they took the field in the remaining 40 minutes. Among those who made a difference, freshmen Bailey Howard recorded two primary assists—the first to game winner Suzanne Patinella, and the second to Katie Bradley.
Unlike the previous two matches, this time the Shorewomen’s relentless offensive pursuit paid off.
“We shifted Howard and Bradley on the field before the game, [to generate more scoring], and go figure—Bradley gets the goal,” Drugan said with a smile.
No doubt, Wednesday night’s tilt boosted the team’s confidence, but more importantly it proved to both the girls and Goose Nation that the Shorewomen can compete under pressure.