The Stony Brook women’s soccer team failed to break through on offense against the Bryant Bulldogs on Sunday, falling 1-0 to their non-conference opponents.
“We didn’t start the game very well,” head coach Brendan Faherty said. “We were poor with our team defending and just poor with our ability to keep the ball. During that stretch, Bryant was able to get behind us and score on one of the few chances they got.”
The game’s lone goal was scored by Bryant in the 19th minute, when sophomore forward Remi Manna played a wide pass from junior midfielder Alison Guilmette, shooting at the post and finding the side of the net past a save attempt from Stony Brook freshman goalkeeper Sofia Manner.
The Seawolves’ attacking game yielded 15 shot attempts and six shots on goal, far more than the Bulldogs, but was not able to find the back of the net for an equalizer on any attempt.
“We got better as the game went along,” Faherty said. “But when you’re down 1-0, you kind of start chasing a little bit. I think we created some chances, but we either settled for some shots further out or we weren’t clinical enough with our chances close to goal.”
Stony Brook was consistently on the offensive after surrendering the early goal, with 14 of their shots coming after the defensive mishap. A last-ditch effort in the 86th minute saw Seawolves junior forward Jordyn Klapper send a dangerous cross to senior midfielder Christen Cahill five yards out from goal. Cahill’s first-touch shot was saved from point-blank range by Bryant’s freshman goalkeeper Meghan Dalton, erasing the last real threat to the Bulldogs’ lead.
Following the loss, Faherty expressed his frustration with the team’s defeat, regardless of the final score.
“I think any loss is frustrating,” Faherty said. “You set your team up as a coach and your players set themselves up to give themselves the best chance of winning, so it doesn’t matter if it’s 1-0 or 10-0. No loss is comforting.”
Sunday’s loss marks three consecutive defeats for the Seawolves, who dropped to 2-4 on the season with losses against Bryant, Boston College and Dartmouth since their Aug. 25 away win against UMass.
For a team as focused on victory as the Seawolves, a three-game losing streak can be a bitter pill to swallow. Still, Faherty and company will look to rebound from Sunday’s loss, tweaking their game in practice in hopes of getting back on the winning track.
“The ultimate goal is to win,” Faherty said. “There were things that happened in the game that are definitely positive, but ultimately, when you start the game, you’re competing to win. So for us, I think we’re all disappointed that we didn’t get a win, and now we have to get back on the training field and get better in the areas we need to grow in.”
Stony Brook will try to snap their skid at Columbia on Friday, Sept. 8, before returning home on Thursday, Sept. 14 to play against cross-island rival Hofstra at 7 p.m.
