By Rob Ciambra, QBSN Staff Writer
On a chilly, but sunny Sunday afternoon in Hamden, 12 different Bobcats scored on senior day to propel them past the St. Francis Red Flash.
Lianne Toomey, one of the honored seniors, scored 36 seconds into the game. After the Red Flash answered back, she scored her second goal of the game and 100th of her career.
But wait – there’s more. Leah Walter, Keira Flaherty and Kiera Carey each scored their first career goals. Flaherty tacked on another before the end of the game. Kyra Ochwat also scored two goals, Sarah Allen scored three and Michaela Tinsley had four. Emily Samuelman scored her first goal of the season as well. The other Bobcat scorers were Aileen Carey, Kayla Fu, Briana Fountain, and Chelsea Guerrera.
Samantha Tilts made five saves for the Bobcats before Coach Caro put in Rachel Massicotte for the remaining time. Student assistant coach Emily Mason, who was added to the coaching staff this season after suffering a career ending injury in the fall talked after the game.
“It’s been amazing,” Mason said. “Coach Caro and the all the coaches on the staff gave me a tremendous opportunity. To have them support me and respect me is a great thing … if this is our last game, it’s a wonderful way to go out. [The seniors] worked so hard over their career here. And to have Kiera [Carey] get her first career goal on her sister’s birthday is just incredible.”
The Bobcats fought hard to get a spot in the NEC playoffs and give seniors Sarah Allen, Kiera Carey, Chelsea Guerrera, and Lianne Toomey at least one more game in their careers. They needed to win, as well as get help from Robert Morris by defeating Sacred Heart and from Mount St. Mary’s to defeat Bryant.
The Bobcats did their job in what they had control over which was their own game, but they did not receive the help they needed from Mount St. Mary’s and Robert Morris, as both teams lost their games today. The Bobcats’ season comes to an end, but it ended with many high notes adding up to a big win at home.
