Quinnipiac got back to its winning ways Sunday, defeating Hofstra by a score of 3-2 in overtime on a Stella Tegtmeier solo goal, bringing the Bobcats’ overall record to 6-7.
The first quarter didn’t exhibit any high-profile chances, as the Bobcats had all the shots in the first quarter, totaling four despite none on target. The Bobcats, behind the coaching of head coach Nina Klein, didn’t allow Hofstra any offensive chances or shots in the first quarter.
The second quarter is where we saw the first score of the game. Graduate student Julianna Cappello chipped the ball over sophomore goaltender Pieke Roos to get the Bobcats out in front first.
During the first penalty corner of the game, Hofstra found a way to tie the game, after junior midfielder Tara McNally tied the game up, putting away a one-on-one opportunity against sophomore goalkeeper Cristina Torres.
To begin the third quarter, the Bobcats had two early penalty corners within the first minute where they had clear shots on the net despite both being kick-saved by Roos. Roos totaled six saves on the day.
“We just tried to get a lot of people in their circle and we kept trying out a lot of opportunities,” Tegtmeier said. “If you keep having opportunities, then eventually it’s gonna happen.”
The Bobcats looked to double their lead with 7:11 left in the third quarter after the ball started to trickle behind Roos, but freshman defender Kesia Richardson was able to save it before it went over the goal line to keep the game tied.
In the fourth quarter, Klein decided to change around the penalty corner setup, putting Tegtmeier as the passer for the corner which led to the Bobcats’ second goal.
“She’s (Tegtmeier) a great striker of the ball. There are times where she’s not the playmaker or the initial playmaker on the corner,” Klein said. “So we’ll have her inserting as well, but she’s great at both. Just depends on what the call is.”
The call this time was to have her pass the ball into junior defender Kate Zamagni, who laid it off to freshman defender Katie Shanahan, who shot it on net. From there, the ball was tipped by senior midfielder Micaela Grajales to give the Bobcats a late 2-1 lead with 3:06 left in the game.
As the fans cheering for Grajales’ goal began to die down, Hofstra brought the ball down the field and tied it up just 15 seconds later. Junior forward Silvia Vetter tipped a pass past Torres to tie the game at 2-2, forcing an overtime session.
With 7:56 on the clock, Tegtmeier scored to give the Bobcats their first win of the season. She took the ball by the Bobcats’ defensive circle and went the length of the field, going through the Hofstra defense to score her sixth goal of the year.
“I just saw in six-on-six overtime there’s always so much more space,” Tegtmeier said. “I just took the ball and I saw the girl and we went one on one. Then I looked up at the goalie and I was just like, Okay, let’s just go for it”
The Bobcats now are turning to the final games of their Big East season, looking for a highly packed bid for the fourth and final spot in the Big East playoffs – with extra pressure now weighing on their next game against second-place Old Dominion.
“I think it’s diving into that Liberty film and seeing what we could have done better in that match to make sure that we’re matching up well against Old Dominion,” Klein said. “I’m just excited. We’re a really strong, better defensive team.”
“It’s going to be another Big East team that we need to win in order to get into the tournament, which is our big goal this year.” Tegtmeier said.
