Quinnipiac midfielder Rebecca Cooke was all that stood between Stony Brook women’s soccer and a third straight win.
The Seawolves (2-1) traveled to Hamden, Connecticut on Thursday to take on the Quinnipiac Bobcats for the third game of the new season. Stony Brook suffered its first loss of the season, 2-1, as it let an early lead get away from them in the second half.
After taking a 1-0 lead into halftime, Cooke burned the Seawolves in the second half. Cooke, the 2022 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Preseason Player of the Year, scored both of Quinnipiac’s goals in the second half to flip the script on Stony Brook. Just under five minutes into the second half, Cooke tied the game with a goal off of goalkeeper Ava King. Later on, as the clock ticked away with five minutes left in the match, Cooke broke the tie and gave Quinnipiac the lead. This time around, the Seawolves were unable to pull off another late rally.
Stony Brook’s offense had a good day as 10 of their 12 shots (83.3%) were on goal, an improvement from their previous game (62.5%). Their only goal came in the sixth minute of the match when forward Hannah Maracina scored her second-career goal off of an assist from midfielder Linn Beck. Forward Reilly Rich led the Seawolves’ attack, as she attempted six shots with five being on goal.
It was the defense that failed Stony Brook, as the Bobcats were able to take 17 total shots, including 11 in the second half. Cooke ate them up, attempting eight total shots in just 68 minutes. Four of her shots were on goal, including her tying and winning goals in the second half.
Both of Cooke’s goals were scored off of King, as starting goalkeeper Emerson Richmond Burke did not surrender a goal in the first half. On the other end of the field, Quinnipiac goalkeeper Sofia Lospinoso recorded nine saves and kept the Seawolves off the board over the final 84 minutes and 48 seconds.
Stony Brook will return to Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium on Sunday, Aug. 28 to take on the Long Island University Sharks. Opening kickoff is scheduled for 2 p.m., as the Seawolves will look to improve to 2-0 at home this year. The Sharks have won back-to-back games after beating Saint Peter’s 1-0 on Thursday.
