Coming off a 5-1 victory over Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference opponent Mount Saint Mary’s on Sept. 20, the Quinnipiac women’s soccer team took on in-state rival Fairfield on Wednesday.
“It was clear to them that this game meant everything,” said Quinnipiac head coach David Clarke. Fairfield entered MAAC play this year as the favorites to repeat as conference champions.
The Bobcats started off hot, playing with high intensity on the attack. The Stags had an early chance in the second minute, as Ashlyn Walsh broke through Quinnipiac’s back line, but sophomore goalkeeper Olivia Jarvis made a routine save to keep the game scoreless.
“We had a lot of success today,” stated Clarke after the game. “We stopped them from doing what they like to do percentage wise. That’s why they were frustrated in the first half.”
Outside of a few chances, the Bobcats controlled much of the possession in the first half and outshot the Stags 9-2 in the opening 45 minutes.
Quinnipiac had another chance early in the second half on a free kick from senior Madison Alves, but failed to convert. In the 59th minute, Fairfield’s Ashlyn McMahon fired from about 30 yards out, but Jarvis made another comfortable save. She finished with five stops.
The match stayed balanced until the 77th minute, when an errant pass from the Bobcats sent the Stags on the counterattack. Fairfield nearly broke through, but Quinnipiac’s defensive line cleared the ball away in time.
However, Fairfield capitalized soon after. McMahon bested Jarvis in the 80th minute to give the Stags a 1-0 lead.
The Bobcats didn’t fold, with less than a minute left, senior Milena Branco sent in a cross that deflected to first year Corey Anderson, who buried the equalizer past Fairfield keeper Katie Wright with 40 seconds to play.
“She’s a potential rookie of the year candidate,” Clarke said of Anderson’s play this season. “She’ll get overlooked because she won’t have the stats… she’s gonna be one of the best players in the league moving forward. Cupo echoes her coach’s praise.
“She’s been awesome for us all season,” said Cupo postgame. “She’s really come into her own.”
The last minute goal kept things even at one till the final whistle. Quinnipiac will head to Massachusetts next to take on the Merrimack Warriors on Sept. 27.
