Keuka Defeats SUNY Canton In Women's Soccer
Senior Jessica Bandrowski (Center Moriches, NY/Center Moriches) scored her first goal of the 2013 season and freshmen Abbey David (Kendall, NY/Kendall) and Alexis Pomerville (Newton Falls, NY/Clifton-Fine) added goals as the Keuka College women's soccer team defeated SUNY Canton 3-1 Saturday afternoon at the Jephson Community Athletic Complex.
It was Keuka's (2-1) second straight win, and on Saturday, the Storm dominated possession against the Roos (3-3).
"We played the ball better to our feet than we have in previous games, and I think offensively we converted on a lot more balls than we have in the past," said senior Brooke Lovell (Arkport, NY/Arkport), one of the Storm's co-captains.
"But we still have a lot that we need to build on, especially for our upcoming NEAC games."
After a scoreless first seven minutes, Pomerville put Keuka up 1-0 on her first collegiate goal. Off a booming kick from junior goalie Ashley Swarts (Arkport, NY/Arkport), Pomerville, on the breakaway, booted her shot from eight yards out into the right side of the goal in the 8th minute.
Less than eight minutes later, Bandrowski, in her first game of the year, extended the lead to 2-0 on another breakaway goal. The first-team All-North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) forward dribbled past several defenders and slotted her shot towards the far post in the 16th minute to put Keuka up two goals.
The Green and Gold's defense held Canton in check until the 61st minute, when Katlyn Hart scored a breakaway goal, but two minutes later, David was there to put the Storm back up by two goals.
Off a set piece in the 63rd minute, David drilled her direct kick off the inside post and into the net for her second goal in as many games.
Three minutes later, Canton had a good look at its second goal of the day, but Karyss Terrance's shot from eight yards out glanced off the post, and the Roos never threatened again.
"Today we possessed quite a bit and we actually played to feet rather than in the past games where we just lumped it forward," said Steve Christenson, the Storm's first-year head coach.
"There were times we were stringing six and seven passes together which is a step in the right direction. All of our goals came through our buildup, which is something we've been working on in training all week. We need to know that this is what we need to do to play with and beat teams that might be slightly above our level."
Swarts, the reigning Defensive Player of the Week for both the NEAC and the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Upstate Region, made seven saves to preserve the win.
The Storm host D'Youville College at 7 p.m. Monday night.
