Sacred Heart blanks Wagner in Conference Opener

Sunday, September 19

Staten Island, NY

1:00 PM

Sacred Heart University Department of Athletics

1-0-03-3-1; NEC

Wagner College

0-1-03-5-0; NEC

SACRED HEART

WAGNER

Sacred Heart blanks Wagner in Conference Opener

9/19/2021 3:30:00 PM | Women's Soccer

Box Score

Grace O'Hara nets two first-half goals

Staten Island, N.Y. – For the first time since 2019, the Sacred Heart University women's soccer team opened the Northeast Conference schedule with a win as it blanked Wagner, 2-0, on Sunday afternoon. A pair of first-half goals from first-year Grace O'Hara was all the Pioneers needed to pick up the victory.

Records
Sacred Heart: 3-3-1, 1-0
Wagner: 3-5, 0-1

Top Performers
Grace O'Hara (SHU): 2 goals, 2 shots
Desiree Crawford (SHU): 1 assist, 1 shot, 1 SOG
Nichol Green (SHU): 4 shots, 3 SOG

Goalies
Elyssa Kipperman (SHU): W, 2-3-1 | 5 saves
Erin Kelly (Wagner): L, 2-4 | 4 saves, 2 goals

Up Next
Sacred Heart continues its two-game road stretch when it visits Mount St. Mary's on Sunday, September 26 for a 1 p.m. meeting.

Of Note
The Pioneers capitalized on a corner opportunity in the 23^rd minute for the first goal of the game. The ball ping-ponged in front of the net before finding the foot of O'Hara. The rookie forward buried it into the back of the net for the initial lead.

Just five minutes after the first goal, Desiree Crawford carried the ball down the right sideline and crossed it across the box to a wide-open O'Hara who tapped it in for the two-goal cushion. The goal marked O'Hara's fourth goal of the season and the third in just two games.

Despite the 2-0 score, the Pioneers and the Seahawks were even in shots as they posted 10 apiece. However, the Pioneers put six on target, compared to Wagner's five. Sacred Heart also led, 7-4, in corner opportunities.

Junior Nichol Green led the Red & White with four shot and three on frame, followed by O'Hara with two.

Elyssa Kipperman made five saves in between the posts and notched her first shutout victory of her career. The shutout is the second-straight for the Pioneers.

The win over Wagner marks the team's first since 2018. The two teams did not meet during the shortened spring season of 2021 due to COVID, and they came to a 2-2 draw in 2019. The last time SHU fell to the Seahawks was in 2015.