By DAVID MEISTER
Sports Editor
The Saint Rose women’s soccer team has been the talk of the town, with a historic 6-0 start to begin 2019. On Wednesday Oct. 2, they looked to keep the run going with a home match against the Franklin Pierce Ravens and kept on marching with a 3-0 victory. The team also slid up two sports last week to tenth in the United Soccer Coaches National Poll. Senior Nina Predanic continued to pace the Golden Knights attack with two goals on the day, while fellow senior Deanna Trongone also notched a goal of her own.
On Saturday, the team squared off against the Stonehill Skyhawks and took the win 2-1 in overtime. The Skyhawks got on the board late in the second half but Predanic nailed the equalizer in the 87th minute to force overtime. And in the extra session, Trongone pushed through the game winner to take the win and keep their record unblemished.
They will continue their historic run on the road on Tuesday against the Saint Michael’s Purple Knights.
Switching off to the men’s soccer team, the team was on the road last Tuesday Oct. 1 against the New Haven Chargers and came away with a 2-1 win. Saint Rose scored both of their goals within the first 25 minutes of the match. Getting on the board first was sophomore Filippo Bellu, and then it was freshman Hilmar Halldorsson’s turn 12 minutes later to get one in the back of the net.
On Saturday, they looked to string together wins against the Southern New Hampshire Penmen but they played to a 2-2 draw in double overtime. Bellu got the Golden Knights on the board partway through the second half and just before regulation ended, freshman Josh Elliott scored the go ahead goal but the Penmen struck back to tie it back up just before the match ended.
In the two overtime periods, neither team could break the tie and that’s how it ended.
The team is now 6-2-1 and they will be home on Wednesday Oct. 9 for another installment of the Upstate Challenge against the Le Moyne Dolphins, kickoff is slated for 7 p.m.
The women’s volleyball team had a three game road trip last week. On Wednesday, the team took on the Pace Setters and came from behind to take the win three sets to two, (21-25, 20-25, 25-21, 25-19, 15-8). Three members of the team recorded double-digit kill totals: Senior Stevie Schweitzer had 19 kills and 15 digs for another double-double, junior Kyla Archie had 15, and junior Victoria Fogg had ten of her own.
They then traveled to Philadelphia on Friday to take on the USciences Devils but were swept, (21-25, 25-27, 16-25). Fogg led the team’s offense on the night with eight kills.
They looked to bounce back on Saturday against the Georgian Court Lions but were swept again, (13-25, 22-25, 24-26). Three members of the team led in kills with six each: they were Schweitzer, Archie and freshman Ele’sia Williams.
The win and two losses moves the team’s record to 8-9 and they will look to get back to .500 on Tuesday night at home against the American International Yellow Jackets for Faculty and Staff Appreciation Night at 7 p.m.
Heading over to the men’s and women’s cross country teams, they were Newburgh, NY on Saturday for the MSMC Knight Invite. The men finished third out of 17 teams while the women finished fourth out of 23 teams. Starting with the men’s team, they had three Golden Knights cross the line in the top-20 in the 8K race. Senior Evan Ireland led the Saint Rose contingent with a ninth place finish, senior Nicholas Lee crossed in 11th place, while senior Frank Bearden rounded it out in 20th.
Moving over to the women’s team, senior Lauren Rabideau on the 6K race with a time of 24:39.9, her teammate sophomore Hannah Willging finished in eighth with a time of 25:46. Both groups will be back in action this upcoming Saturday Oct. 12 at the James Early Invitational in Westfield, MA.
And finally, in women’s golf, the Golden Knights were competing last Monday and Tuesday at the Penmen Fall Invite in New London, NH. They finished fifth out of seven teams. Sophomore Callie Jones led the Saint Rose delegation at +23 while freshman Erika Fuentes finished one stroke behind her at +24.
