MEADVILLE, Pa. - Freshman
Hannah Smith's first career goal proved to be the difference, as the Gators defeated visiting Pitt-Bradford 1-0 at the Robertson Athletic Complex.
Enjoying a decided advantage in possession and scoring chances for the duration of the game, Smith's goal off of a corner kick in the 59th minute allowed the Gators to take a lead they would not relinquish, as sophomore keeper
Tara Lynch made four saves to post her second shutout victory of the season and give the Gators the win in their 2015 home opener.
The victory moved Allegheny's record to 2-6 on the season, while the team is now 13-2-2 against non-conference opponents at the Robertson Athletic Complex dating back to the 2010 campaign.
From the opening whistle, the Gators looked to seize control, holding the ball deep inside the Pitt-Bradford third of the field for nearly the entire opening nine minutes of play. After a
Sarah Donohue blast in front went just wide off of a crossing attempt in the sixth minute, the Panther defense was effective in limiting the Gator scoring chances, as each of the next three Allegheny shots were from distance and sailed off the mark.
In the 18th minute,
Brianna Layman's shot from the top of the box was saved, but a Panther foul shortly thereafter allowed Allegheny to regain possession. A blocked shot led to an Allegheny corner kick, with
Lauren Miller lofting it into the box. However, the leaping header attempt by
Niki Augustine went just wide, and the game remained scoreless.
Play evened out over the middle third of the half, with the Panthers' first real scoring chance thwarted by Lynch on a shot from 10 yards out in the 30th minute. The Gators tallied the final two shots of the half, but neither would find the net, and the game entered intermission scoreless.
The distinct advantage in possession time for the Gators was evidenced in the box score, as Allegheny out-shot the Panthers 12-3 and posted six of the seven first half corner kicks.
Pitt-Bradford looked to reverse its fortunes to open the second half, getting the ball deep on a pair of occasions in the first five minutes. Lynch would make a pair of saves 40 seconds apart, while a third Panther shot sailed wide, before the Gators once again set up shop.
With 31 minutes left in regulation, a deep run by the Gators set up their seventh corner kick of the afternoon, and this time, it paid dividends. Miller lofted it deep inside the box through traffic and it found Smith, who deflected it home for the all-important first goal.
Following the Smith goal, Allegheny remained on the attack, with three corner kicks and three shots over the next six minutes, but were unable to add an insurance marker. Possession continued to remain with the Gators, however, who controlled play at the midfield to deny Pitt-Bradford of any substantial scoring threats. With just over 12 minutes left, the Panthers mounted their final threat of the game, as a blocked shot up close set up a corner kick. The Gator defense would harmlessly knock the corner away, however, and it quashed the final scoring opportunity of the game.
The Gators again owned a substantial advantage in shots over the second half, 8-4, to finish with a 20-7 margin for the game. Five players took at least two shots for Allegheny, led by five from
Colleen Fleming and four by Augustine. The Gators' advantage in possession was also reflected in corner kicks, where they held a 6-1 advantage for the game.
Allegheny will now have a six-day layoff before returning to action on Tuesday, Sept. 29th when they host Westminster at 4 p.m. at the Robertson Athletic Complex in their penultimate non-conference match of the season.
