FAIRFIELD, Conn. — Shea Kelleher's game-opening penalty kick goal provided the offense but two second half goals proved the difference as the Sacred Heart University women's soccer team fell to Mount St. Mary's on Saturday afternoon, 3-1.
With the men's team having started their noon kickoff with a 1-0 lead thanks to a penalty kick goal inside the game's first minute, the women's team replicated their own fast start – this time 66 seconds into the half – scoring on a penalty kick conversion to grab an early 1-0 lead.
The Pios earned the spot kick opportunity from
Shea Kelleher's doggedness inside the Mountaineer penalty area, finding some room in the corner of the box before getting fouled as she went to find an open player. With a chance to put the hosts ahead, Kelleher slotted a low-driving ball past MSM's Adelaide Paredes for the 1-0 lead just past the opening minute of action.
The Pios continued to pester their opponents for a majority of the next 15 minutes, searching for a two-goal lead. However, the visitors found the equalizer inside the first 20 minutes as Sydoney Clarke was fouled inside the SHU penalty area, resulting in a spot kick which the forward put away to level the match, 1-1.
Both teams continued to generate their fare share of chances in the remaining 25 minutes of the half, but the sweeping winds and mist kept most of the sting out of the ball with both sides venturing into the halftime break having a plethora of chances but only the one goal a side to show for it.
In the second half, it was the visitors who found the breakthrough goal just past the hour mark as Nathalie Mejia put MSM ahead with a lofted shot from a free kick that bounced off the crossbar, off the SHU goalkeeper, and across the goal line to make it 2-1. Twenty minutes later, Clarke bagged the brace after sending a low, curling shot past
Lauren Calabro that clanked off the post and in to put the Mountaineers ahead 3-1 with under 10 minutes to play in the match.
The Pios, looking for a way back into the match, continued to battle until the final whistle, earning the best chance to claw into the deficit with an indirect free kick opportunity in the final minute that the Red & White had two cracks at but could not put away as MSM clinched the eventual 3-1 win.
Top Performers:
Of Note:
- Kelleher's penalty kick goal is the first of her career and is her team-leading third goal this season. Kelleher now leads the Pios in points as well with six on the campaign.
- Kelleher's tally marks the second time in her career that she has scored in consecutive games after doing so last season (10/8/23 v. Howard, 10/12/23 v. Stonehill).
- Kyran Thievon made her return in goal by playing the final eight minutes of game action in her first game in two weeks.
Up Next:
The Pioneers are back on the road for a two-game set this week, traveling across state lines to take on Iona on Wednesday at noon before finishing the week off with a trip to Rider on Saturday with kickoff slated for 1 p.m. More information can be found at sacredheartpioneers.com.
