FAIRFIELD, Conn. — Three goals in the second half were enough to secure a 3-3 draw in comeback fashion as the Sacred Heart University women's soccer team hosted Fairfield University for its Pediatric Cancer Awareness match on Wednesday night.
Before the match, the Pioneers dedicated the night to Kian James. Kian, a standout soccer player from Forsyth County, Georgia, and personal friend of assistant coaches
Andre Lindsay and
Scott McBride, is battling Acute T-Cell Leukemia that was discovered after a medical episode forced him to return to the United States after competing in the Gothia Cup in Sweden this past summer.
Before the starting lineups were announced, SHU captains
Mia Sansanelli,
Maria Nolan and
Sofia Germano presented an autographed team shirt to Jon Bradley, who accepted on Kian's behalf. For more information about Kian's story and links to donate, please visit 11 Kian Strong on Facebook or @SHU_WSOCCER on X for links to donate.
Both teams were eager to strike first against their crosstown foe. However, the visitors would get the first laugh, as Fairfield's Sam Kersey headed home the game's opening goal inside the first 20 minutes. The visitors would have their looks as they piled 13 total shots against the Pioneers' five, forcing graduate student goalkeeper
Elyssa Kipperman into three saves.
The Pioneers looked for a spark to start the second half as first year goalkeeper
Kyran Thievon was inserted into the match, but the visitors had other plans as they fired their first shot on goal in the half past Thievon to double the lead only two minutes into the final half.
The Pios found their footing, however, as
Lindsay McShea scored her first collegiate goal after sending a deflected shot past Fairfield goalkeeper Katie Wright as the match approached the hour mark.
The Red & White capitalized on their newfound momentum three minutes later as
Grace O'Hara found space along the side of the pitch and fired a looping, sharp angle shot that dropped into the corner of the goal, leveling the match at 2-2 and sending the home crowd into a frenzy.
However, off of another corner kick, the Stags jumped into the driver's seat as Meghan Carragher earned her second assist of the match, heading the ball to Maddy Theriault who sent the ball into the net.
The Pioneers continued to press and found the equalizer with under 10 minutes to play after
Morgan Bovardi's header was initially saved off of the goal line by Fairfield's Wright, but found the path of
Grace O'Hara who slotted the ball into an open net in what would be the final action of the match as the fulltime whistle solidified the 3-3 draw.
Top Performers:
Of Note:
- Sophomore Theanna Burnett earned her first start of the season and has now appeared in six matches.
- Lindsay McShea's 57th minute strike is her first collegiate goal. She is now the fifth Pioneer to score this season.
- Grace O'Hara's two goals makes her the second Pio to score multiple goals in a match this season. She now leads the Pios in with five goals and 11 points.
- Grace O'Hara is now riding a four-match point streak, which is the longest of any Pioneer this season. The streak also ties the longest point-streak of her career since the 2021 season after accumulating 11 points across four-consecutive matches (9/12-9/30).
- The tie moves SHU to 0-0-3 at home contests this season.
Scoring Summary:
19' – After earning a corner kick, the Stags sent a cross into the penalty area that was headed into the air by Fairfield's Meghan Carragher before dropping to Sam Kersey who, while facing away from goal, headed the ball into the bottom right corner of the goal.
Fairfield 1, Sacred Heart 0.
47 – After holding pressure in the final third, Fairfield doubled the lead after a cross bounced off a FU attacker, finding the foot of Kersey who slotted the ball past Thievon and into the back of the net.
Fairfield 2, Sacred Heart 0.
57' – With possession in the final third, SHU's
Maria Nolan fired a shot that was blocked by an FU defender and bounced to
Lindsay McShea. McShea brought the ball down and slotted her left-footed shot into the bottom left corner of the goal.
Fairfield 2, Sacred Heart 1.
60' – After an offside call in the defensive third, the Pioneers were able to stretch the field as a from
Nichol Green found the foot of
Grace O'Hara along the right side of the pitch. O'Hara, with a burst of speed, made space away from her defender and fired a right-footed shot from a sharp angle that looped over goalkeeper Katie Wright and dropped just below the far-left corner of the goal and into the side netting to level the match
. Sacred Heart 2, Fairfield 2.
69' – After another set piece from the corner flag, the Stags were able to send a ball into the box that was headed down by Carragher and found the foot of Maddy Theriault who fired a left-footed shot past the SHU defense and into the net. Fairfield 3, Sacred Heart 2.
81 – After pushing for the equliazer, the Pioneers found space along the right side as
Shea Kelleher floated a ball into the penalty area that found the head of
Morgan Bovardi. Bovardi's header was batted off the post and into the path of O'Hara who slotted the ball into the net.
Sacred Heart 3, Fairfield 3.
Up Next:
The Pioneers are back in action on Sunday, September 17, hitting the road to begin Northeast Conference play as they take on the Hornets of Delaware State at 2 p.m. Live stats and livestream information will be available at sacredheartpioneers.com.
