Anchorwomen fall to VTSU Castleton in 14-13 shootout on senior day

Tim Yean

Sports Editor

(PROVIDENCE) – Vermont State University Castleton third-year midfielder Megan Ward cashed in the game-winning goal to secure a 14-13 win for the Spartans in the final minute of play and spoil Rhode Island College’s senior day in a back-and-forth affair.

Third-year attacker Claire Greene led the Anchorwomen with eight points on a six-goal, two-assist day. Greene also led the game with ten draw controls. VTSU Castleton’s third-year midfielder Phoebe Loomis recorded the same stat line as Greene to lead the day in points for the Spartans. Megan Ward led Castleton in draw controls with six.

Both goalkeepers, the Spartans’ fourth-year Katie Stager and the Anchorwomen’s second-year Giana Franco, each recorded seven saves on the day, but the loss fell to Franco following the game-winning goal from Ward.

Photo of Alumni Stadium at RIC by Tim Yean

Prior to the game, RIC celebrated five seniors: Nicolle Rosales, Angelina Nardolillo, Hannah Marley, Kierdan Drury and Maggie Schwab. All were alongside their families and given flowers as each senior and their achievements were announced.

The festivities concluded and a high-scoring first quarter followed. Midfielder Hannah Marley scored the game's opening goal on a bounce-in to give RIC the early lead. Phoebe Loomis responded moments later and clipped in Castleton’s first goal to tie the game up at one. Both teams exchanged eleven goals total by the end of the first quarter, RIC taking the slight edge 6-5.

The rest of the game was a story of spurts for RIC and Castleton. The second quarter saw two rapid goals come from the Spartans within thirty seconds of each other to provide a brief 7-6 advantage. Four minutes later, attacker Nicole Rosales would find Marley, who connected on her third goal to tie the game up once again, with another two Anchorwomen goals following the initial Marley goal. A Loomis strike assisted by fourth-year attacker Brianna Paul would have Castleton cut RIC’s lead to one at the half, 9-8.

Five minutes gone by in the third quarter, Castleton fired in three goals in just two minutes to give them their largest lead of the afternoon and only allowed the Anchorwomen one goal by second-year attacker Livia Sweeney late during the frame to enter the fourth quarter with an 11-10 lead.

A one-goal game, this time in favor of the Spartans, the Anchorwomen knew they had to respond. Claire Greene would send in another two goals off of free-position shots and would assist Hannah Marley on another goal with six-and-a-half minutes to go in the game to give RIC a 13-11 lead and a chance at their second victory of the year.

The Anchorwomen, tested defensively in the final five minutes, did not pull through. Phoebe Loomis would score an additional two goals at the 4:45 and 2:01 marks to once again have a tied game. A long holdoff by RIC only delayed the inevitable. A foul against RIC set up Megan Ward for a free-position shot, scoring on the game-winning attempt with 32 seconds left. The Anchorwomen scampered to Spartan territory, but couldn’t pull off a shot in the final moments against a pressing Castleton defense.

Castleton pulls away with their first victory in the Little East Conference this season and improves to 3-10 overall. It has been nearly four years since the Anchorwomen’s last win in the LEC, and they now drop to 1-7 on the year. They’ll aim for that elusive conference win– and their second win of the season– in a Wednesday home matchup against the 10-3 Eastern Connecticut State University beginning at 4 p.m.

For more on RIC athletics and general news, visit anchorweb.org and follow @rictheanchor on Instagram for quick updates.