BY JONNY WALKER, STAFF WRITER
The St. Bonaventure University women’s soccer team clinched an Atlantic 10 tournament berth for the first time since 2013 on Sunday at the Marra Athletics Complex, defeating Duquesne, 2-1.
After looking on from the sidelines as the Bonnies (7-7-4, 5-4-1) celebrated their senior day before the game, the Dukes (4-10-2, 2-7-1) failed to play spoiler.
Emotions were high following the pre-game ceremony. Bonaventure head coach Steve Brdarski said, “We wanted the girls to be able to use that love that they have for their teammates and their seniors and be able to put it into the game.”
In the 20th minute, Dukes midfielder Hannah Ngyuen received a ball from forward Jaimi Araujo near the top of the 6-yard box in a crowd of defenders. Ngyuen’s shot, with unusual spin and slow pace, snuck past the goalkeeper’s outstretched hand and found the lower left corner of the net.
“The usual pre-match routine was switched a little due to senior day,” said Bonaventure forward Cristina Torres. “I believe…this had to do…with Duquesne’s early goal, but I think the team was able to quickly get in the right mindset and come back into the game.”
In the 34th minute, Bonnies forward McKenna Robinson aired a ball nearly 20 yards downfield in the direction of Torres. The ball bounced once before Torres, streaking across the face of a Duquesne center back, redirected the ball off her chest and into open space. Torres’ hard, low, left-footed shot brought the Bonnies back into the game.
In the 43rd minute, Bonaventure midfielder Kristin Pickard earned the first point of her collegiate career with an assist on the game-winning goal. Pickard, splitting two Duquesne defenders, received a ball from the midfield and turned with it into open space on the right side of the 18-yard box. Torres, making a far-post run, finished Pickard’s cross mid-slide.
The goal, Torres’ second of the game, gave the first-year Bonnie an A-10 leading 13 goals on the season.
“I don’t really think a lot about my ‘individual success,’” said Torres. “I think I am still far from becoming the best version of myself which is why I’m just focused on improving every day so I can help the team qualify for the NCAA tournament.”
In the second half, Duquesne managed just two shots on goal, both saved by freshman goalkeeper Chiara Gottinger. The now four-time A-10 Rookie of the Week recorded a game-high five saves.
“These five saves aren’t different to my other saves before,“ said Gottinger. „Yes, I made them in this special game, but I went into this game the same way I went into the other games: excited and ready to play.“
Gottinger led the A-10 in saves (111) and saves per game (6.17) this season, starting in all 18 of Bonaventure’s regular season games.
“I didn’t expect such individual success right from the beginning,“ said gottinger. I wasn’t even sure if I would be the starting goalie. Now hearing all these numbers is a little bit surreal for me.“
The victory not only secured the Bonnies the fifth seed in the A-10 tournament, but it held deeper meaning for the team’s players and coaches.
„This was a game that from the start of the season that I always heard the girls talk about how they wanted to win it, so it meant a lot to get the result,” said Torres. “Also, it guaranteed our A-10 tournament spot, which was extra special.”
“In the last eight years, we’ve won one senior game, and that was in 2019,” said Brdarski. “So, it was awesome…to be able to send them [the seniors], for their home careers, off with a victory.”
The first round of the A-10 tournament features a rematch between Bonaventure and University of Massachusetts just 10 days after the two teams played a scoreless, double-overtime draw.
“If we can get our girls to play 2-3% better, I think we make two or three more plays, we’re a little bit more disciplined, and I think it’s a great game for us and we win,” said Brdarski.
Bona’s-UMass streams live on ESPN+ at 1:00 p.m.
