The Colgate women’s soccer team celebrates its penalty kick win over Bucknell Tuesday night in the quarterfinal round of the Patriot League Tournament. (Photo by Bob Cornell)
By Kat Castner
(Hamilton, NY – Nov. 5, 2013) Calm and composed was the theme on Tuesday night as the Colgate women’s soccer team went 5-for-5 on penalty kicks, advancing the Raiders to Friday’s Patriot League Semifinal matchup against second-seeded Boston U. at 7:30 p.m.
No one likes having to decide a hard-fought game with penalty kicks but the Raiders stayed focused and converted on all five of their opportunities to defeat Bucknell 5-4 after neither team was able to notch a goal through 110 minutes of play.
“You just have to stay really steady, or at least that’s what I tried to do,” Colgate head coach Kathy Brawn said of this exciting finish. “Our players did such a phenomenal job tonight. It was a game that we felt we created some good things and just couldn’t find the finish. To be at penalty kicks can be a little bit of a let-down but we took it the opposite way and were able to pull through.”
Colgate (10-6-2) was led by recently named All-Patriot League First Team member Caroline Brawner, who tallied two shots throughout the contest. Jenna Panepinto also posted two shots but the story of the game were the five made penalty kicks from Emily Manoogian, Chelsea Roche, Catherine Williams, Jenna Panepinto and twin sister Lexi Panepinto.
Rookie Brenna Mason was outstanding in net yet again for the Raiders registering four saves throughout the contest.
“We will enjoy and celebrate this and then get ourselves prepared for a tough Boston U. team,” Brawn added.
Bucknell (7-9-2) saw senior Chelsey Garkowski record five shots, two of which were on frame. The Bison converted on four of their five attempts with Evelyn Nicinski, Liz Dwornik, Hannah Bonotto, and Brigit Falcon all finding the net. Jessica Ratner made three saves in her second shutout of the season.
The Raiders held the majority of possession and chances in the opening 45 minutes.Jenna Panepinto started Colgate off to a good start five minutes into the game when she made a great run with the ball down the right-hand side of the field. Manoogian started the play by finding Panepinto on the wing. The recently voted All-Patriot League Second Team honoree took a few touches before striking the ball towards goal. Her shot tested Ratner, forcing her to make a diving save.
With 27 minutes remaining in the half, Manoogian got fouled awarding the Raiders a free kick on the right side of the field. Mannogian sent the set piece to the back of the box, where Emily Pullen almost finished it off but the rookie wasn’t able to wrap her foot around the ball to put it away.
Less than two minutes later the Raiders were on the attack again following a great Manoogian corner kick. The ball was kicked around in the box before finding the foot of Jenna Panepinto, who’s one-timer on net sailed just high over the crossbar.
After 25 minutes of play, Colgate had its best opportunity of the half when Taryn Tomczyk sent a brilliant through ball behind the Bucknell back four to a runningJenna Panepinto. The Buffalo, N.Y., native dribbled freely inside the box forcing Ratner to come out to make the save. At the last second, Panepinto sent the ball across the face of the goal but the Raiders were unable to put it away.
Early in the second half Manoogian again started a Raider attack when she played a short corner kick to Kelsey Hough. The senior captain then sent a stellar cross into the box, finding the head of Roche, who’s redirection towards goal sailed just wide.
Bucknell answered with a chance of its own when Falcon played a corner kick to the head of Dwornik. The senior captain connected sending the ball across the face of the goal to the opposite corner. Fortunately for Colgate, Hough was there to clear it away from goal and out of danger.
With less than nine minutes to play the Bison had another good look on net when Dwornik found Garkowski on a 2-vs-1 opportunity. Garkowski saw an opening and shot from just outside the box but her attempt sailed high over the crossbar.
Neither team as able to record a goal in 90 minutes of regulation sending the game into extra time.
Both teams had solid chances in the two overtime periods.
In the opening minutes of the first overtime period, Garkowski and Nicinski found themselves on a fast break in the middle of the field. Before they were able to get a good shot off Mason came diving out to make a goal saving stop.
Colgate notched two great chances in the second overtime with the first coming after Hough’s driven ball to the back of the box. Sarah Coy used her head to redirect the cross but it sailed wide of the net.
A few minutes later Manoogian sent a solid through ball to Brawner behind the Bison back four. The junior tried to slide it past Ratner but the rookie was able to just get a hand on it for the save.
Following 110 minutes of scoreless play, the teams were forced to decide the match on penalty kicks. Both teams showcased precise shooting starting with Bucknell’s Nicinski, who netted one into the right side of the net for the 1-0 advantage. Manoogian quickly answered with one of her own to the right side, knotting the score at 1-all.
Dwornik and Roche exchanged makes before an Alexis Gannon strike to the top left corner of the net ricocheted off the crossbar. This gave the Raiders a chance to take the lead, and they had no problem doing that as Williams put them ahead 3-2. Makes by Bonotto, Falcon and Jenna Panepinto tied the score at 4-4 with one Colgate player left to shoot. Lexi Panepinto sent a hard driven shot into the lower left-hand corner of the net to lift the Raiders 5-4 on penalty kicks.
Bucknell held the advantage on shots 11-8 but Colgate tallied nine corner kicks to the Bison’s three.
The Raiders are back on the pitch Friday at 7:30 p.m. when they travel to the Glen Warner Soccer Facility on the campus of Navy for a semifinal matchup with the Terriers.
The Bucknell versus Colgate game was not the only one decided on penalty kicksTuesday night as the other quarterfinal matchup between Army and American needed them as well following a scoreless 110 minutes of action. American advanced 3-1 on PKs and is set to face off with top-seeded Navy on Friday at 3:30 p.m.
NOTES: Tuesday’s result goes down as just Colgate’s second draw in league tournament play … The Raiders’ last tournament contest to go to kicks came in the 2004 semifinals at Van Doren Field when they moved past Army … Colgate is 12-1-1 all-time in Hamilton, N.Y., against Bucknell … The Raiders are the No. 3 seed for the third time (1991, 2003) … The Raiders head back down to Annapolis, Md., which was the site of 2012 Patriot League Tournament in which Colgate defeated host Navy 1-0 to capture the title.