Worcester State penalty goal spoils womens soccer senior night, 1-0
Tim Yean
Managing Editor
(PROVIDENCE, R.I.) – A testy handball call set Worcester State University up for a penalty kick against the hosts and spoiled RIC womens soccer’s senior day, 1-0.
The controversial foul came inside the penalty box during the 54th minute on a collision between fourth-year Nicole Nunes and another Anchorwoman, which the referee believed to have seen the colliding Anchorwomen make contact with the ball through their hands, leading to a strong reaction from RIC’s starting goalkeeper.
Nunes made five saves in the defeat, with fourth-year forward Amber Almeida leading the pace offensively with five shots on goal out of the eight total RIC hammered toward the visitors.
“We definitely had to step it up second half and connect more passes and play better together,” Almeida said postgame. “But we did it; it's just a really unfortunate score, but I think we ended up playing really well.”
The Anchorwomen aimed to rebound after a tough Homecoming loss against Western Connecticut State University Saturday Oct. 17, celebrate senior day and etch a win against a three-win Lancer squad and speed away from a 1-3-1 skid in their last five contests. A non-conference matchup that wouldn’t harm the team’s Little East Conference standings, and it looked like the Wednesday afternoon would be well-positioned to be brief and simple.
Following the eight-senior celebration, the first half would be favored by the visitors who maintained possession of the ball throughout the majority of the frame. Worcester State outshot RIC, nine to four, in the half to set the offensive tone.
Amber Almeida had a 30th-minute shot skim through two defenders, but Lancer fourth-year goalkeeper Ella Gumienny read through traffic and was able to secure an easy save, one of four that she would make in the victory.
Nine minutes into the second half came the controversial handball penalty. Fourth-year midfielder Olivia Magierowski kicked the ball low and near Nunes, just ekeing by her quick-reaction dive.
Amber Almeida would lead the charge for the RIC counterattack, with four attempts at puncturing a goal to the scoreboard the rest of the way; none were able to connect, highlighted on Worcester’s end by two saves from Gumienny.
The last shot for RIC came in the 66th minute, and for the rest of the way, they would not be able to attempt a shot again against a tight Lancer defensive front.
After a Saturday LEC affair against Vermont State University Castleton, they’ll return back home for one final regular-season match against Eastern Connecticut State University for an opportunity to shore up a top-two seed for a bye, or at the very least hosting a playoff match at Alumni Stadium.
Follow @rictheanchor and go to anchorweb.org to read up more on RIC athletics.
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