By Mikael DeSanto
Sports Assignment Editor
The St. Bonaventure University women’s soccer team picked up their first win of the season Sunday afternoon when they defeated the Niagara Purple Eagles 4-1. The Bonnies spread out their offense, as four different players scored for the team.
“We did it in a team effort, which you can’t have any problems with that,” head coach Steve Brdarski said. “Some of it was scrappy defense, some of it was great shots, (and) some it could have been more, 5 (or) 6 at least, but hopefully that shows us what we have in our players, and hopefully gives us our confidence to keep going forward.”
The Bonnies opened the scoring in the 13th minute on a goal by freshman forward Sydney Cerza, who was assisted by fellow freshman and midfielder Sabrina Sousa-Sampson. The goal was Cerza’s first of the season and of her collegiate career.
They added another goal to go up 2-0 in the 27th minute when junior defender/midfielder Alex Pochop chipped it in unassisted for her first of the year. However, less than a minute later, Niagara cut the lead in half with a goal from senior forward Laura Ortiz put home a rebound, with the assist being credited to freshman defender Hadley Bucken.
The save was just one of seven freshman goalkeeper Lauren Malcolm would make in the game. Brdarski said Malcolm has played her way into the title of starting goalkeeper with junior Beth Moore injured and that’s what she should be known as.
“She’s not a freshman goalkeeper anymore, she’s just our goalkeeper; when preseason ended, her freshman year ended,” Brdarski said. “What she’s doing right now, in football you’d say ‘oh my god it’s a true freshman QB, that never happens’ I know that’s a big deal, but she’s earned the right to be called the goalkeeper of this team.”
In the second half the Bonnies continued to keep up their offense, scoring in the 56th minute to extend their lead back to two. Sophomore midfielder Marley Jarvis netted the goal from 20 yards away, giving her two goals for the season.
“She was giving me space on the top of the 18,” Jarvis said. “I looked up and I was like ‘might as well take it’ so (I’m) just happy it went in.”
They added their fourth and final goal in the 64th minute when junior forward Danielle Vis got by her defender and converted the shot.
“I went at the player and then I got a deflection off her,” Vis said. “Then I just kept going to goal, so it was a luck ball that came back to me and I just took it and scored.”
Throughout the game, the Bonnies helped keep their offense going maintaining possession of the ball and not allowing Niagara to put together chances. Brdarski said that type of play is what they aim for.
“We want to keep the ball, we want to play with the ball, we want to knock it around, that’s our style,” Brdarski said. “With Sydney (Cerza) you’re talking about her defending, and she’s a forward, with your defenders you’re expecting them to just annihilate players, just win the ball, but for us it’s not, they have to start the attack for us, they have to draw players towards them, they have to spread out the attack, open up passing lanes so that we can go.”
The Bonnies will next play September 9 at home against Youngstown State at 7 p.m.
