Soccer Falls In 2-1 Defensive Battle to SJU

Friday, September 26

Robins Stadium (Richmond, Va.)

4:00 PM

University of Richmond

5-5

Saint Joseph's

7-4

Saint Joseph's

Richmond

09/26/2014 | Women's Soccer

Box Score

By: Richmond Athletics

A game-tying goal in the 52^nd minute locked a defensive match in the second half, but a header by Saint joseph's in the 61^st minute was the difference as the Hawks handed Richmond its first home loss in a 2-1 non-conference tilt at Robins Stadium Friday afternoon in women's soccer action.

Richmond is now 5-5, while Saint Joseph's is 7-4.

The Hawks scored quickly after a corner was headed out by the Spiders, but went right to Jill Root, who lobbed a chip shot over UR keeper Emily Kelly (Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands) for the 1-0 lead in the sixth minute of play. From that point, the Hawks packed it in and frustrated the Richmond attack and that score held to the half.

SJU had a 12-9 shots advantage on the Spiders at the break.

Robins Stadium // University of Richmond, Va.
		1st	2nd		Final
	Saint Joseph's (7-4)	1	1	---	2
	Richmond (5-5)	0	1	---	1
Scoring Summary
SJU - Root (1), unassisted, 6'
UR - Carrigan (6), from Colligan, 52'
SJU - McEachern (3), from Westhead & Gingrich, 61'

Richmond came out and adjusted to the defense, finally breaking through when junior Shannon Colligan (Greenwich, Connecticut) fought through the defense on near-post end line and fired a low shot that was redirected in by Meaghan Carrigan (Greenville, South Carolina) from nine yards from the goal. The score was Carrigan's team-leading sixth goal of the season, giving Colligan her conference-leading eighth assist of the year.

The match ratcheted up offensively at that point, with Richmond getting three more shots in the next five minutes, until SJU's Olivia McEachern headed in a brilliant lob pass from Shannon Westhead to go far post from the top of the six-yard box for the game-winner.

The Spiders were able to generate 11 shots to the Hawks' five in the second half, but Saint Joseph's keeper Allison Ebling was up to the task in the second period, making six of her 10 saves in that period.

Ebling got the win (7-4), while Kelly took the loss (5-4) after making six saves in the contest.

The Spiders will remain home Sunday in a 4 p.m. contest against James Madison. Admission is free to Robins Stadium for soccer matches this season.

NOTES: This was the first time in the last 10 matches that Saint Joseph's did not play in a shutout and the first time this season a team scored a game-tying goal on SJU… Carrigan's goal was just Richmond's third game-tying goal this season and her first.