The Cavaliers women’s soccer team lost to Eastern by a score of 3-0 on Wednesday, Sept. 12, at Edith Robb Dixon Field. It was the 12th straight season the Lady Cavs lost to Eastern in the annual Battle of Eagle Road.
Eastern came out strong, making precision passes as they got a few fortunate bounces and scored in the first three minutes and 20 seconds of the game.
It was an unusual goal. As Eastern passed the ball inside the box, senior goalkeeper Maddy Edwards came out of net to make a play. While doing so, Kelsey Doutrich bumped into Edwards and she managed to score. No foul was called.
Cabrini quickly countered with an attack in the 13th minute with a great through pass to Melissa Scanzano, which put her on a breakaway. Scanzano came down the right side of the field she took a low hard shot toward the far post but Eastern goalkeeper Alysia Goodman made a diving save.
“We’re killing it in practice,” Scanzano said. “We got to put it on the field.”
It seemed as though neither team could really get an edge in the game, as the score remained 1-0 in favor of Eastern for the remainder of the first half.
As the second half started, neither team gained momentum again. A few scoring opportunities developed in the form of one-on-one opportunities for both teams and were soiled by great goaltending by Edwards and Goodman.
In the 55th minute, a shot from Eastern forward Amy Thomas beat Edwards. But Dana Drake got back quick enough to prevent the ball from crossing the goal line and cleared it out of danger.
Then in the 60th minute, Doutrich struck again as she came down the left side of the field. This time she took a shot just outside of the 18. The ball was redirected off a Cabrini defender and found the back of the net.
Just 10 minutes later, in the 70th minute of the game, Eastern set up for their third corner kick in a row after two great saves by Edwards. Ashley Graybill’s cross into the middle was headed in by Katelyn Rittenhouse past Edwards for the Eastern’s third goal from Eastern to ice the game.
Cabrini has 12 freshmen on the team this year and 17 returners. Both the players and the coaches seemed confident in the talent that they have acquired as a team.
“Wait until later in the year,” sophomore Danielle Kane said. “We will get better as the season goes on.”
“We have a good mix of veteran and new players,” 11th-year head coach Ken Prothero said. “I feel like we have a lot of young players that are almost like veterans. They are experienced. They have size and strength.”
