The Red Hawks played a hard-fought game, coming back to at least tie it before the final whistle.
In a tightly contested matchup against Stevens College on Thursday, Sept. 18, the Red Hawks did what most teams fail to do when the pressure is on and the lights are the brightest: the women’s soccer team defied the odds and came back to tie it 1-1 late in the game.
Montclair State University maintained possession of the ball through the first 15 minutes of the game, keeping up a good tempo and managing to generate some offense in the opening moments. Sophomore forward Isabell Kronow generated the lone shot for the Red Hawks in the first half, but the momentum would shift rather quickly.
Following a yellow card against Montclair State at midfield, Stevens sophomore Sophia Murphy placed one in the back of the net, which gave her team the early lead.
That one goal was all that Stevens needed to secure a well-played first half as the Red Hawks couldn’t regain the pace they established at the beginning of the contest. Montclair State headed into the break down 1-0, unafraid of the challenge that stood in front of them.
“Even though we are really young, they don’t get scared and they don’t get shocked,” said head coach Patrick Naughter after a scrappy 1-1 draw versus Stevens. Photo credit: Photo courtesy of Montclair State Athletics
“Even though we are really young, they don’t get scared and they don’t get shocked,” said head coach Patrick Naughter. “They were just kind of like, we got this. We’re not playing well, but we are going to turn this around and we are going to get this done.”
The women looked poised walking out of the locker room and were determined not to let this game end in a loss. One of the contributing factors that allowed the Red Hawks to get back into the game was sophomore goalkeeper Salange Bell.
Salange Bell made five key saves despite being banged up in practice the day prior. Photo credit: Photo courtesy of Montclair State Athletics
Bell didn’t get the opportunity to rack up any saves in the first half; however, she did get the opportunity to do so in the second half. She managed to tally five saves in a game she wasn’t 100 percent sure she was even going to compete in.
“She got hurt bad yesterday in practice and I didn’t think she was going to be available today,” said coach Naughter on Bell. “So for her to come out and do what she did, that kid is different gravy.”
The other key contributing factor was senior forward Mackenzie Albert, as she rose to the occasion in a crucial spot. With just about ten minutes left on the clock, Albert was sent to the line for a penalty kick and sank the shot to knot it up at one apiece.
This marked Albert’s third goal of the year, tying Kronow for the team’s top scorer.
Senior forward, Mackenzie Albert playing againist Stevens College. Photo credit: Michael Twum-Amponsah
“I have this ritual when I take penalty kicks,” said Albert. “I look to one side and then I kick to the other. The goalie followed my eyes and went to the other side, so I was lucky that she did that.”
After the goal, Montclair State continued to push for a winner, firing three shots on the net across the final six minutes. Unfortunately, they were unable to pull ahead as Stevens held a steady hand and kept the match locked at a draw.
“I think we did great,’ Bell said as she reflected on the team’s performance. “I think that we flipped it around from the first to the second half and I am very satisfied with the way we played because it has definitely prepared us for what’s coming next.”
The Red Hawks are now looking forward to their upcoming schedule as they are preparing to face Moravian University next week on Wednesday, Sept. 24, for their seventh game of the year.
