Hawks Edge Lions in AMCC Women’s Soccer Game of the Week
ALTOONA, Pa. – Penn State Altoona women's soccer came out on the losing end of a back-and-forth affair with Hilbert College on Saturday afternoon in the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference Game of the Week, falling 4-3 to the Hawks at Spring Run Stadium.
Schenley Farrell (Philipsburg, PA/Philipsburg-Osceola), Dee Dee Abbott (Waldwick, NJ/Waldwick), and Mallorie Smith (Bellefonte, PA/Bellefonte) scored goals for Penn State Altoona (2-8-2, 2-2-1 AMCC), while Emilee Roman (Davidsville, PA/Conemaugh Township) recorded a pair of assists.
Nicole Schwartz (Clifton, NJ/Passaic County Technical Institute) started at goalkeeper for the Lions and made three saves.
For Hilbert (5-6, 3-1 AMCC), Gabrielle Avallone scored two goals and Hannah Brock and Grace Zabawa had one apiece.
Penn State Altoona stifled an early Hilbert scoring chance, as Schwartz dove to her left to make a save on a penalty kick at the 4:54 mark. But the Hawks capitalized on a corner kick situation several minutes later, when Brock knocked in Avallone's corner at 12:21 to give the visitors a 1-0 lead.
Penn State Altoona evened the score at the 28:23 mark, when Farrell took a pass from Roman in the box and tucked a shot into the bottom left corner of the goal to make it 1-1. The goal was Farrell's second of the season.
Hilbert answered quickly, jumping back on top less than five minutes later. Eliana Rocha sent a pass up the middle of the field, and Zabawa received it, dribbled into the box, and found the back of the net on a shot at 33:07 to give the Hawks a 2-1 advantage.
The 2-1 Hilbert lead held through halftime, but Penn State Altoona turned up its attack during the second half to keep pace with the visitors. The Lions posted a lopsided 20-3 advantage in shots over Hilbert during the second period.
Penn State Altoona's offensive push paid off early in the second half, as the Lions knotted the score at 2-2 just over two minutes into the period. A foul on Hilbert set up Abbott for a free kick just outside the left corner of the box, and she sent a strike into the left side of the goal at 47:08 for her second score of the year.
However, Hilbert again responded quickly to reclaim the lead. Avallone took a pass from Evin Stauffer, worked her way through the box, and scored on a shot at 54:14 to give the Hawks a 3-2 advantage.
Penn State Altoona kept its foot on the pedal, however, and the Lions came up with the tying score in the 84th minute. Roman sent a pass toward the box, and Smith took it, dribbled past a defender, and chipped a shot past the keeper at 83:07 for her 10th goal of the season, tying the score at 3-3.
But Hilbert took advantage of a Penn State Altoona miscue to come up with the go-ahead score just 1:06 later. A turnover in the Lions' box came right to Avallone, who fired a shot into the goal at 84:13 to provide the Hawks with what was ultimately the game-winning tally.
Penn State Altoona finished the game with a 26-13 lead over Hilbert in shots, including a 14-8 advantage in shots on goal. The Hawks held a 5-2 edge in corner kicks.
Smith recorded game-highs with eight shot attempts and five shots on goal, while Abbott and Camryn Kurilla (Mount Wolf, PA/Northeastern) each had four shots with three on target.
Next up, Penn State Altoona women's soccer will travel to Erie to take on AMCC foe Penn State Behrend next Saturday, October 14 at 2 p.m.
