POUGHKEEPSIE, NY – The Iona College women's soccer team played to a 1-1 draw with Marist in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference opener. Amber Crispin scored Iona's lone goal on a penalty kick late in regulation.

MATCH SUMMARY

Marist controlled possession for the majority of the opening 10 minutes of the match. The Red Foxes had four corner kicks in the first eight minutes, registering two shots. Sophomore keeper Emma Havrilla was forced to make one stop, doing so on a try from Abby Murphy.
 
The Gaels were called twice for offsides as they tried to make runs and shift the control of the field position. Freshman Samantha Hogan tried Iona's first shot of the match, but it sailed high over the cage. Crispin would put the first shot on goal for the Gaels in the 25^thminute, but Natalie Kelchner made the stop.
 
Both sides slowed down drastically as the half went on; Marist and Iona could register just two shots apiece across the rest of the first half. Kelchner and Havrilla each made a save on a try as the match entered halftime.
 
Murphy and Hogan opened up the second half with a shot each, Kelchner made a stop on Hogan's try. Then, the Red Foxes' Kristen Prevosto gave her team the lead with a goal on a header. A little over 15 minutes into the second half of action, Alexa Svensson fed a pass from the corner in towards the box that Prevosto headed past Havrilla.
 
Seconds later, Hogan tried another shot, resulting in a corner kick for the Maroon & Gold. Nothing would come of the corner, and Iona's offense would falter over the course of the following eight minutes. Faith Preziosi and Andrea Ferrer tried shots two minutes apart, but neither could direct it towards net.
 
Finally, Hogan's persistence paid off for the Gaels; the rookie streaked down the near side of the pitch and was challenged as she went for the ball in the box. Svensson was called for the foul that resulted in a penalty kick for Iona. Crispin took the penalty shot and buried it past Kelchner in the bottom right portion of the net to tie the match.
 
Kiera Haggerty and Preziosi each put shots towards the net in the waning minutes of regulation, but the match would head to overtime to try and find a winner.
 
Neither side had much going in the first overtime period; each keeper made one save on the only shot sent their way. The Red Foxes had a corner kick in the early part of the second overtime, but could not get a shot off. They had another chance with a little over two minutes to play, but again could not register a shot.
 
The lid-lifter of league play ended in a 1-1 tie at Tenney Stadium in Poughkeepsie, New York.

NOTABLE NUGGETS

• Crispin scored her fifth goal of the season, the beneficiary of a penalty kick. The senior has now scored in four consecutive matches for the Maroon & Gold and in five of seven matches in September.
• Her 15^thcareer goal puts Crispin in sole possession of fourth place in the program's record books.
• Havrilla faced 16 shots on the afternoon, allowing one goal and making three saves.
• Marist had 12 corner kicks, the most by an Iona opponent this year.
• The Red Foxes held a narrow 16-15 edge in shots, but the Gaels owned an 8-4 advantage in shots on goal.
• Preziosi led the team with 3 shots, two of which were on goal.
• Kearns, Preziosi, D'Alessandro, Cocucci and Havrilla played all 110 minutes of the match for the Maroon & Gold.

UP NEXT

Iona will stay on the road as they head up to Niagara on Saturday for a 1 PM kick-off against the Purple Eagles.

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