Friday night was opening night in the 2014 NCAA Women’s Soccer season, and Stony Brook was looking to start coach Sue Ryan’s 30th season with a win.
However, the Rutgers Scarlet Knights had other plans, as they defeated the Seawolves 3-1 across the river in Piscataway, NJ in a non-conference matchup behind two goals from sophomore midfielder Madison Tiernan.
Her classmate, Jennifer Andresen, added the third Rutgers goal, helping them improve to 22-5-4 all-time on opening night and 7-0-1 in matches against Stony Brook. They have won the last three by a combined score of 8-1.
Tiernan scored the first goal of the game just under five minutes in, taking a pass from Amy Pietrangelo and putting it past Seawolves keeper Ashley Castanio to the right, and giving Rutgers a 1-0 lead. They would take that lead to the break, and defensively holding Stony Brook to only five shots.
Tiernan scored her second goal in the 62nd minute, with assists from Amanda DeVolk and Brianne Reed to make it 2-0 Rutgers. This was Tiernan’s first career multi-goal game, while shooting a career-high seven times, and hitting the target thrice. That number tied a career-high.
Andresen streaked into the box in the 74th minute, taking a head-flick pass from Jessica Puchalski and beating Castanio to the left side of the net, all but icing the game at 3-0.
Maxie New made sure the Seawolves would not go scoreless in their season opener, as she slotted a free kick goal in the 82nd minute of the game.
The Seawolves rebounded on Sunday in their home opener at LaValle Stadium, defeating the Delaware State Hornets 1-0 in a non-conference women’s soccer matchup.
This was a classic example of a game which the scoreboard does not tell the story of the game.
The Seawolves outshot their opponents 22-6 in the game, and 12-2 in the first half in their first win of the season.
Castanio was did not have to do a lot in this game, recording only one save.
The Seawolves were only able to put seven of them on target, which mostly led to the low scoreline.
The lone goalscorer for the game, freshman Maddie Good, scored her first career NCAA goal in the 76 minute unassisted. This was also her lone shot of the game.
Seven different Seawolves put a shot on net, providing offensive pressure from all angles but just were not able to score more in the game.
The Hornets struggled to a 1-16 record last season, so the Seawolves were not facing the toughest of opponents, but Stony Brook had to sweat this one out against their Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference opponents.
Tessa Devereaux, the lone returning player from the America East All-Conference team a year ago, led the offensive attack with five shots, including one on net.
Regan Bosnyak, returning this year from an injury that made her miss nearly all of last season, recorded four shots, as well of one on target.
Keeper Katelyn Koslosky kept the Seawolves out of the net for most of the day, recording six saves.
The Seawolves will look to make it two in a row on Aug. 28, when they head up to Loudonville, N.Y. to take on the Siena Saints, with the matinee set for 3 p.m.
