MEADVILLE, Pa. - Senior
Hannah Smith scored twice, and
Shannon McGuinn and
Isabella Martinez added a goal apiece, as the Gators earned a convincing 4-0 win over Pitt-Bradford in the 2018 home-opener under the lights at a steamy Frank B. Fuhrer Field.
The Gators (1-2) out-shot the Panthers (1-1-1) 28-10 on the night, while Allegheny keeper
Maya Hackman turned aside seven shots to earn her third career shutout victory.
Allegheny wasted little time in seizing the momentum. Five minutes into the opening half, a shot in close from McGuinn was blocked out of bounds, leading to a corner kick from Martinez. The Gators were able to keep the ball deep following the set piece, with Smith sending a ball through traffic in front right to McGuinn, who easily directed it home for her first strike of the season to put the Gators up 1-0 at the 5:58 mark.
Following the opening goal, the hosts kept up the offensive pressure, racking five shots in an eight-minute span. Pitt-Bradford keeper Emily Bethel proved up to the task, making a trio of saves over the span, including a sprawling stop on a Martinez breakaway just over seven minutes into play.
At the 15-minute mark of the opening frame, the Panthers had their first sustained possession, with four shots and a corner over a five-minute span, but Hackman made a pair of saves, while the defense blocked an attempt.
After Bethel made another big save on a breakaway at the mid-point of the half, the Gators saw another chance to add to their lead in the 26th minute. A shot from Martinez went wide, but Renk tracked it down before it found the end line and directed a shot on goal. However, the attempt was directed out of bounds by a Bradford defender just before crossing the goal line, and the Gator lead remained 1-0.
The Gators nearly cashed in on a similar flurry in the 38th minute. A corner kick from Martinez was directed on target by McGuinn and knocked away by Bethel. The rebound caromed to Martinez, who put it right back on goal, but it was again knocked away by a diving Panther defender, and the Gator lead would stay at 1-0 at the intermission.
Over the opening 45 minutes, Allegheny out-shot Pitt-Bradford 13-6, while owning a 6-2 margin in corner kicks. Bethel finished with seven saves in the first half, and Hackman four.
Five minutes into the second half, Hackman turned in her biggest save of the game, as she maintained the clean sheet with a diving stop on a breakaway less than ten yards out.
The Gators would quickly seize control, racking three shots and a corner kick over a five minute span, before adding an insurance marker in the 56th minute. Following a lengthy possession in deep, Martinez cashed in on a through ball from Renk after a two-on-one for her first goal of the season to put the Gators up 2-0.
The two teams would trade possession over the next 15 minute, with Hackman saving shots and Bethel three, before Allegheny broke through for its second goal of the half with just inside 17 minutes left in regulation. McGuinn sent a ball through traffic to Smith, who lofted it over Bethel and into the goal to make it 3-0.
Less than three minutes later, Smith closed out the scoring when she controlled a bouncing ball off of a rebound in the box and directed it home for the Gators' fourth goal of the evening, and giving Smith her second career two-goal game.
Allegheny controlled play for the duration of the second half, out-shooting the Panthers 15-3 and taking eight of the half's nine corner kicks. Bethel turned in eight second half saves to finish with 15 for the evening.
Seven different players accounted for Allegheny's 28 shots on the night, led by seven from Martinez and six from Renk. Grace Dadzaa led the Panthers with five shots.
The Gators will return to action on Saturday, September 8, hosting Chatham University in a noon non-conference match at Frank B. Fuhrer Field.
