By MICHAEL SMITH
Staff Writer
PUBLISHED ON OCTOBER 2, 2011
Last Tuesday, the Saint Rose women’s soccer team took on the Mavericks of Mercy College at Sullivan Field, in a non-conference game. The Golden Knights came out strong and shut down Mercy to an 8-0 rout.
The Knights came into the game ranked ninth in the country, boasting a 9-0-1 record, including a 2-0 record against opponents outside the NE-10, outscoring such opponents 12-1.
The Golden Knights came out strong in the beginning of the game. They were controlling the ball and keeping it in the offensive zone. After missing a shot over the net in the third minute, sophomore forward Carmelina Puopolo took a pass from sophomore Sydney Bond and dished it to senior Christina Cuffari for her third goal of the season.
Puopolo found herself apart of three goals in four minutes. After assisting on Cuffari’s goal, she had a steal on defense, took it down the field and finished with a goal of her own.
Just a short 39 seconds later, she had her second assist of the game on a give-and-go with freshman Brittany Barry, for Barry’s twelfth goal of the year. The Golden Knights were not done though in this first half. Barry and Cuffari assisted their senior teammate Gianna D’Errico, for her ninth goal of the season.
The Golden Knights would score four more goals in the second half with Puopolo adding her second of the game and ninth of the year with a strike from 18 yards away. Senior Brittany Godin had her fourth of the year with an assist from fellow senior Aoife Herbert.
Freshman Meeghan Arno then scored her second of the year with an assist from junior Marisah Case. Case and Arno then switched roles, with Arno assisting Case, for her first goal of the year, capping off the scoring for the night.
The Golden Knights showed off their solid defense as well, putting up shutouts in each of their last four games. The Mercy Mavericks did not register a shot in the first half against sophomore goalkeeper Jessica Gerski.
Freshman keeper Lauren Minkoff came in to relieve Gerski and she only faced two shots, turning away both, giving the Golden Knights five consecutive shutouts.
Head coach Laurie Darling Gutheil was pleased with the effort, but added that the Golden Knights that took the field that night were not the finished product.
“I think we still have to be better protecting, and changing the point of attack, and being sharper and cleaner with our pace of play,” said Gutheil.
Carmelina Puopolo, who was named NE-10 Player of the Week last week, finished this game against the Mavericks with two goals and two assists. Puopolo has won the title two straight weeks, giving Saint Rose the honor for the past three straight weeks with Brittany Barry winning the honor before Puopolo.
This performance gives Puopolo her bid to earn that title for the third straight week. Puopolo said the honor felt amazing, adding that it felt “like all the hard work has paid off.”
This past Saturday, the Golden Knights took on the Skyhawks of Stonehill College, the team’s homecoming game. The next game will be this Saturday against Saint Anselm at Sullivan Field at 12 p.m.
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