Wagner vs. Delaware State Highlights

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Staten Island, NY – The Wagner College women's soccer team staged a come-from-behind rally, scoring a pair of goals three minutes apart, which included the game-winner off the foot of junior captain, Maria Nunez in the 71st minute, as the Seahawks defeated Delaware State, 2-1, on Friday evening at Hameline Field.
 
With the win, the Green & White improves to 3-12-0 on the season while Delaware State falls to 3-12-2. Tonight's thrilling victory marked the first home win in the tenure of second-year head coach, Phil Casella.
 
"I thought we played really well and it is a great feeling to win on our home field. It's what we want to do all the time," commented Casella. "Our girls executed the game plan exactly how we drew it up, but, early on, we just couldn't get that first goal as goals are not easy to get on some nights, and that is a credit to our opponents." 

"Delaware State capitalized on a counter and we had to deal with coming from behind," Casella added. "Tremendous effort and credit to our team as they remained calm and composed and kept playing on. We will enjoy the win tonight but now the focus turns to Sunday as we get set to host Mount St. Mary's." 
 

 
Following a scoreless first half, in which Wagner outshot the Hornets, 10-5, it was the visitors who would fire the opening salvo in the match. In the 50th minute, Jade Jamison was able to locate Alyssa Coustenis, who booted the ball past junior goalkeeper, Delaney Beck, to the back left post in giving the Hornets a 1-0 lead.
 
Wagner was able to rebound and seize the momentum for the remainder of the match. In the 62nd minute, Nune fired a shot that was left of the target. The Green & White continued to march forward and was rewarded in the 68th minute.
 
Sophomore Le'la Allen was able to take the ball and go towards her left before cutting back into the middle of the field and firing a left-footed shot that found its way inside the post, tying the match at 1-1.
 

68 ' - Wagner ties the match at 1-1 as Le'la Allen with the left-footed goal to even the match.

For Allen, it is her third goal of the season#NECWSOC #CHAOSonthehill pic.twitter.com/tFmwP4TwOq

— WagnerCollege Soccer (@WagWSoccer) October 20, 2018

For Allen, it marked her third goal of the season and fourth of her Seahawk tenure. "Le'la had an incredible individual effort to tie the game," Casella said. "She kept working hard and was ultimately rewarded by finishing and tying the game."


 
Wasting little time, Wagner was again on the offensive and created another scoring chance, which proved to be the game-winner.

Freshman Luisa Barone was able to run down the loose ball on the far right side and send the ball into the box. Her cross was first touched by Hornet defender until sophomore Mya Donnelly was able to secure the ball and thread the ball to Nunez, who beat DSU's Leslie Fazio in giving Wagner a 2-1 lead.
 

71' Wagner gets the go-ahead goal as Maria Nunez nets her team leading fifth goal of the season off the feed from Mya Donnelly.

Wagner 2, Delaware State 1#NECWSOC #CHAOSonthehill pic.twitter.com/XLOkEkCyC8

— WagnerCollege Soccer (@WagWSoccer) October 20, 2018

For Nunez, it is the third consecutive match in which the junior captain has scored (at Sacred Heart, vs. Fairleigh Dickinson, vs. Delaware State) and gives her eight career goals. For Donnelly, who was credited with the assist, it marks her first helper of the season and second for her career.

"Another spectacular effort by our girls in getting the go-ahead score," Casella mentioned. "We had a great ball to the top of the box where Mya (Donnelly) hit it low and hard, which is something we have stressed and Maria (Nunez) was in a great position to put one past the keeper." 
 
The Hornets had a pair of late chances, both coming off the foot of Savannah Ay as her first shot was denied by Beck in the 74th minute, before misfiring right of the target in the 78th.
 
For the match, Wagner's Delaney Beck, who improves to 2-1 on the season, made five saves, giving her 104 for her Seahawk career and moving her into seventh place on the all-time career saves list behind Michelle Quinones (105).
 
The Green &White outshot the Hornets, 20-11, while also holding a 6-1 edge on corner kicks. Barone and Nunez each had four shots in the match with Barone sending three on goal. Sophomores Madison Starr and Julia Fitzsimmons each had two shots in the contest as well.
 
Wagner will host its final regular season match of the 2018 season on Sunday, October 21 as Northeast Conference (NEC) resumes for the Seahawks when they host the Mount St. Mary's Mountaineers at 1:00 p.m.
 
Sunday is Senior Day, as the Seahawks will recognize their five seniors in a brief on-field ceremony prior to the start of the match.

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