By VICTORIA ADDISON
Sports Editor
The Golden Knights soccer season officially began this past week for both the men and women’s teams who competed at home in their season openers. The women’s team played first against Nyack College, followed by the men’s who took on Molloy College.
Ranked sixth overall in the NSCAA/Continental Tire NCAA Division II Preseason Poll, the women’s team is also favored to win the Northeast-10 Conference Championship according to the league coaches’ preseason poll. The team has won the Northeast-10 Conference Championship consecutively for the past six seasons.
The Lady Knights did little but dominate Thursday night as they beat Nyack by a score of 6-0. The team scored 3 goals per half, each by a different player. Junior forward Kristin Carr started the scoring frenzy almost halfway into the first half, followed by junior midfielder Michaela Phillips soon after. Yet another goal was scored before the first half came to an end by junior midfielder Quinn Massaroni.
Goals continued to pour in as freshman forwards Morgan Burchhardt and Amanda Roney both scored their first goals of the season midway through the second half. Finally, sophomore forward Sammy Blizzard shot the sixth and final goal of the night, leaving the Golden Knights victorious by a land slide. The team plays their next home game tonight versus Mercy College at 5:30 p.m.
Saint Rose’s men’s team, who made their first ever Northeast-10 Championship appearance last season, also competed Thursday night. The Golden Knights are projected to finish eighth in the Northeast-10 Conference according to the league coach’s preseason poll. Newly named head coach Stephen Hogan made his first debut with the team as they took on Molloy College to open their season.
No goals were scored in the first half for either team. It was not until the second half that each team scored within minutes of each other. With close to 10 minutes left, Molloy was the first to score, followed by a goal from Saint Rose by freshman midfielder Kledis Capollari soon after. After two scoreless overtime periods, the game ended in a tie. Colan Balkwell, Saint Rose’s junior goal keeper, finished the game with a total of five saves, only allowing one goal into the net from the opposing team.
After their loss to Daemon College at home last Saturday, the Golden Knights will host St. Thomas Aquinas College tomorrow at 7:30 p.m.
