Hawks fall at Delaware 3-2 in season opener

NEWARK, DEL. - Senior back Alexa Freguletti (Mahwah, N.J./Mahwah) scored twice for the Hawks, but the Monmouth University women's soccer team dropped its 2014 season opener at the University of Delaware on Friday night at Grant Stadium on a late Blue Hens goal.

The Hawks, who rallied from a goal back twice on scores from Freguletti, surrendered a tally with just 2:26 remaining on the clock in the road loss.

"We battled back after each goal was conceded which is a good quality to have but we need to do a better job of team defending, as we allowed Delaware too many shots," stated head coach Krissy Turner.

UD outshot Monmouth 15-6 overall, including 11-1 in the second half.

After Delaware took at 1-0 advantage in the 19th minute on Rachel Vaccaro's score, the Hawks knotted the game in the 41st minute as sophomore Julie Spracklin (Eastampton, N.J./Rancocas Valley Regional) crossed a corner kick, which Freguletti nodded in for her 11th career goal.

The Blue Hens reclaimed the lead 6:38 into the second half on Natalie Zelenky's score, before Freguletti pounded home a penalty kick at 61:47 to tie the match at 2-2.

UD's Emily Market fired a low shot from left side to lower right corner from 18 yards out in the 88th minute for the deciding goal.

In her Monmouth debut, Nicole D'Agostino (Clarendon Hills, Ill./Hinsdale Central) made five saves for the Hawks, who held a 4-2 edge in corner kick opportunities.

Spracklin collected her sixth career assist for Monmouth, while Freguletti registered her first career two-goal game for the Hawks, and now has 12 career goals as a defender.

Monmouth returns to action on Sunday afternoon, when the Hawks host American University in its home opener at 1:00 p.m., on Hesse Field at The Great Lawn.

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