The University of Rhode Island women’s soccer team eked out a narrow, 1-0 win at the University of Richmond Oct. 19 in the Spiders’ final home conference matchup.
Both sides seemed cognizant of the importance of a late-season conference matchup early on, and it was a balanced, almost cautious style of play from Rhode Island’s team that defined much of the first 15 minutes. With the bulk of play concentrated in the midfield, many shots managed by each side either missed the frame or were sweeping ground balls easily corralled by the goalkeepers.
Not until the Rams’ 17th-minute goal did the game seem to break open offensively. Having been granted a set piece just outside the 18-yard box, a strike delivered by the URI midfielder clipped the shoulder of a Spider defender standing in the wall, deflecting the ball into the far corner of the net too quickly for senior goalkeeper Taylor Montague to readjust.
The Spiders seemed poised to respond mere seconds later, when a cross from graduate midfielder Caitlin Sutton ricocheted onto the foot of junior midfielder JoJo McShane near the 6-yard box. However, the shot was guided just over the crossbar, and the half closed without any other significant opportunities for either side.
Where the first half had been extremely contentious, the second began with a dominant offensive showing from UR, including a pair of corner kicks that each found a UR jersey, and a close-range shot from Sutton that necessitated an awkward deflection from the URI goalkeeper to clear.
The Spiders’ offensive pressure nearly culminated in a leveling score in the 60th minute, when a cross from graduate forward Molly Wierman connected with first-year midfielder Kathryn Lennon, whose header struck the post.
Almost 12 minutes later, after a handful of URI shots seemed to quell the Spiders’ attack, UR again seemed to draw level with the Rams. Driving down the right side, Wierman delivered a cross to a pair of UR players crashing the box, where it appeared that McShane was able to beat the overwhelmed URI goalkeeper with a low, right-side strike. After a brief deliberation however, the referees of the match deemed McShane offsides and the goal null.
Perhaps spurred by the offsides ruling, the Spiders immediately went to work at the resume of play, lining up one of their best chances of the day in a forceful ball from close-quarters by Wierman, which was kept out of the net only by a diving save by the Rams’ goalkeeper.
Though maintaining a narrow advantage in total shots and retaining possession for much of the remaining time, the last fifteen minutes following the Spiders’ flurry of opportunities elapsed without a goal.
UR fell to 1-7-1 in conference play with the loss, while URI kept its postseason hopes alive with their fourth win in six conference matchups, for an Atlantic 10 record of 4-2-3.
“We played well enough on the day to win the game,” UR Head Coach Adam Denton said after the match. “It just kind of sums up our season, when we’re having positive play at times but just not getting over the line to get those goals.”
The Spiders will round out their season with a match at fellow A-10 member Duquesne University at 1:30 p.m. Oct. 22.
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Contact sports writer Scott Valentine at scott.valentine@richmond.edu.
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