MEADVILLE, Pa. - Thanks to a pair of early goals and some stellar goalkeeping from Maya Hackman, the Allegheny women's soccer team defeated Denison 2-1 in both teams' North Coast Athletic Conference opener at a sun-baked Robertson Athletic Complex.

The Gators scored two goals in the first 12 minutes of play, while Hackman backstopped a Gator defense that faced 25 shots on the day, as Allegheny (3-5, 1-0 NCAC) snapped its two-game losing streak while beating Denison (3-3-2, 0-1) for the first time in three seasons.

Denison looked to test the Gator defense early on, with two shots and one corner kick in the first two minutes of play.  Hackman's first save of the game directly led to the Gators' first scoring chance on their ensuing possession.  Shannon McGuinn picked up a pass from Isabella Martinez near the midfield line, darted through traffic, and unleashed a perfect shot from 30 yards out that found the upper right corner of the goal and put the Gators up 1-0 in the third minute.  It marked the freshman's team-leading fourth goal of the season.

The Big Red had the game's next three shots, with Hackman making a strong save in the seventh minute, but the Gators would score the game's next goal.  In the 12th minute, Hannah Smith sent a cross to the middle of the box, where it met a leaping Kelli Gaus, who directed it into the goal on one touch to put the hosts in front 2-0. 

The visitors then looked to increase their offensive pressure,posting five more shots and two corners between the 17th and 24th minutes.  Hackman made a pair of saves over the span, highlighted by her effort on a breakaway by Denison's Sam Haseltine, as she charged out of the net to meet Haseltine at the top of the box to smother the ball immediately as it left the attacker's foot.  

In the latter stages of the half, the Gators gained a possession advantage, but were unable to generate many scoring chances in close.  The hosts racked four shots over the final 10 minutes of the half, but two were blocked by the Denison defense, and the two others sailed wide.  Hackman would then go on to save two more Denison shots over the final five minutes of the half to preserve the two-goal lead at the intermission.

The Big Red tallied 12 first half shots to Allegheny's six, with Hackman turning in six first half saves.  Denison was also granted the only four corner kicks of the opening frame.

In the second half, Denison was reinvigorated, and mounted relentless pressure on the Gator defense from the start, putting forth four shots in the first 10 minutes.  The Gators continued to have difficulty in wresting away possession from the Big Red, who would get on the scoreboard with just 22 minutes left in regulation, as Kelly O'Neill directed home a perfect corner kick from Sam Haseltine to cut the deficit in half.  

The Gators continued to withstand Denison's relentless push, with Hackman turning in saves in the 77th and 81st minutes, before the Gators' received a strong scoring chance with just under seven minutes to go, when Taylor Renk's free kick from the top of the box sailed just over the crossbar and out of play. Denison's final push came with less than a minute remaining, but the Gator defense blocked a shot from less than 15 yards out, and Hackman gobbled up a shot on the rebound attempt with under 30 seconds remaining to seal the Gator win.

For the game, Denison out-shot Allegheny 25-10, while also taking all eight of the game's corner kicks.  Hackman finished with 11 saves, her third double-digit save performance of the season. Renk, Martinez, and Sarah Donohue shared the Gator team lead with two shots apiece.

The Gators will return to action on Tues. Sept. 26, traveling north to take on Fredonia State in a 7 p.m. non-conference fray.  

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