By DAVID MEISTER
Sports Editor
The women’s soccer team began the season on a high note winning their first match of the season. They looked to create some early season momentum against the Roberts Wesleyan Redhawks but ended up playing to a 0-0 draw in double overtime. The shot differential was just about even with the Redhawks edging out a 17-16 advantage. Junior goalie Marika Laurendeau helped solidify the Golden Knights defense with eight saves.
They looked to gain a more decisive outcome in their home opener last Wednesday and won in emphatic fashion, 6-0. Junior forward Nina Predanic led Saint Rose on the day with a hat trick and precise shotmaking. Three shots and three goals. Also getting onto the scoring sheet were junior Caitlyn Debagian, junior Morgan Burchhardt, and sophomore Myah Hughes.
They then faced an early season test in their NE-10 conference opener against a fellow unbeaten team in the Stonehill Skyhawks but were shut out for their first loss of the season 2-0. Despite not scoring on offense, the defense for the Golden Knights had another good performance as Laurendeau had seven saves on the day.
The team is off to a fast start at 2-1-1 and will look to keep it going tomorrow when they take on American International Yellow Jackets at home, game starts at 6 p.m.
Keeping it on the pitch, the men’s soccer team won their first match of the season as well and looked to keep rolling early as they took on the Dominican Chargers last Tuesday and pitched a shutout, winning 1-0. The lone goal of the day came on a penalty kick in the first half which was converted by senior Paulo Sdoia. The Golden Knights also dominated in shot differential 15-3.
The team then headed into their first road contest of the season down in Flushing, NY against the Queens College Knights and pulled off a dramatic comeback to take the victory 5-4. Saint Rose rallied from being down 4-3 with 11 minutes to go in the contest to tie it up and eventually take the lead. Led by freshman Filippo Bellu who had a hat trick on the day, Bellu also scored the game winner with little time left on the clock. The other goals were scored by Sdoia and also senior Kyle Clemens.
The team is off to a 3-0 start for the first time in men’s soccer history and will to keep this run going on the road today against the American International Yellow Jackets.
Switching gears to women’s volleyball, the Golden Knights have been off since September 2. They headed in well rested to Saturday’s “Soap for Hope” tri-match against the Nyack Warriors and Roberts Wesleyan Redhawks and managed to win both matches. First against the Warriors three sets to one (25-11, 25-16, 22-25, 25-18) and then the Redhawks three sets to none (28-26, 25-18, 25-22). Powering the Saint Rose offense between both matches was senior Shayna Webber with 23 kills. Junior Stevie Schweitzer continued her strong run of late with 18 kills between both matches.
The pair of wins puts the team at 6-4 on the season and will continue their homestand when they host the Bridgeport Purple Knights tonight at 7 p.m.
Finally in men’s and women’s cross country, Saint Rose was competing in the Siena Invitational on Saturday. The men’s team placed seventh out of eight teams and the women’s team finished eighth out of nine teams. On the women’s side, junior Christine Myers led the Golden Knights by finishing 14th in the 5K race with a time of 18:45.4 . The men were lead by junior Nicholas Lee who finished the 8K in 26:53.5 . The next meet for both teams will take place on September 29 at the RPI Saratoga Invitational.
