The women’s soccer team battled Gwynedd-Mercy College to a scoreless draw on Saturday, Oct. 15, in a CSAC match at Edith Robb Dixon Field.
The draw is the second of the season for the Lady Cavs and their first against a CSAC opponent. The tie brings Cabrini’s overall record to 8-4-2 and their record in the CSAC standings to 6-1-1.
Despite being held scoreless, the Lady Cavs played a solid game, managing several scoring chances throughout the match. The only thing missing was a goal.
“We do everything right,” 10th-year head coach Ken Prothero said. “We possess, we play good balls and we earn corner kicks and free kicks. We’re just not getting the ball in the net.”
The tie snapped a five-game winning streak for the Lady Cavs. However, their unbeaten streak was extended to six games.
Among the scoring chances were 13 corner kicks for Cabrini. The Lady Cavs also registered six shots on goal, all of which were stopped by Gwynedd-Mercy’s senior goalkeeper Abby Reed.
Among the shot leaders for Cabrini were senior forward/midfielder Kara Hinkelmon and freshman midfielder Melissa Scanzano. Each had four of Cabrini’s 19 shots in the match. Cabrini outshot Gwynedd-Mercy 19-7.
“We all just need to work together,” Hinkelmon said. “Everyone’s got to step up, do their job and work together as a team.”
Junior goalkeeper Maddy Edwards stopped all three shots on goal by Gwynedd-Mercy. It was her eighth shutout of the season.
“I do the best to support my team,” Edwards said. “If it comes down to me, I do what I can.”
In this battle of wills, neither team seemed to find a total advantage. While the Lady Cavs led the play for much of the first half, the Griffins most dangerous threat came at the closing stages of the first half.
The second half featured a similar end, but in Cabrini’s favor this time. A similar late scoring threat nearly paid off, but the Lady Cavs were unable to score.
After 90 minutes of tense game play, both sides faced double-overtime. After two 10-minute sessions of extra time, both teams settled for a scoreless draw.
In front of a crowd of 143 people, the tension of the match was felt in the stands as well as on the field.
“You try and stay calm,” Hinkelmon said. “You’re still playing the game and you have plenty more opportunities.”
Including Senior Night against Immaculata University on Wednesday, Oct. 19, there are three remaining games on the Lady Cavs’ schedule, all against CSAC opponents, before the CSAC playoffs begin on Oct. 31.
“It puts us under more pressure in terms of the last three games,” Prothero said. “If we want a bye in the first week, we’re going to have to come up big against some good competition.”
Even with the draw, the team can take away several positives. The team’s ability to create scoring chances was evident throughout the match.
Despite the tie, the team remains among the top teams in the CSAC conference. After play on Oct. 15, the Lady Cavs were in third place in the conference, just three conference points out of first. They trail Centenary College and Neumann University in the CSAC standings.
Regardless of the standings, the team goal remains focused on a strong playoff run. The Lady Cavs are working toward their first CSAC title since 2009.
“Even through a tie and losses we come together,” senior forward Sammy Thompson said. “We’re going to find a way to win eventually. We just have to keep working together.”
