October 5, 2006 Issue                                       

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©2006 The Chestnut Hill Local

Late goals carry CHC women past Immaculata
by TOM UTESCHER

CHC senior goalie Krista Deflaviis, left, was named North Eastern Athletic Conference student-athlete of the week for the week ending September 23. For more photos visit www.chlocalphotos.com. (Photo by Jimmy J. Pack Jr.)

Although Chestnut Hill College dominated visiting Immaculata University through most of last Monday’s women’s soccer game, the Griffins’ superiority wasn’t reflected on the scoreboard until the final phase of the non-conference contest.

Freshmen Julie Treen and Jackie Nevius each scored during the last eight minutes, salting away a 3-1 victory that raised Chestnut Hill’s record to 5-1-2 overall while the Griffins remained 3-0-1 within the North Eastern Athletic Conference. The Mighty Macs, who were outshot 35-12 during the encounter and took one corner kick to CHC’s five, fell to 2-9 on the season.

Immaculata actually scored the first goal of the day ten minutes into the second half, then CHC senior Morgan Nichols tied the game at one-all before the freshmen caught fire down the stretch. The winners got seven saves from goalkeeper Krista Deflaviis, and Kristi Dittbrenner wound up with 16 stops for the visitors.

In the opening period, CHC’s Meghan Smith sent two shots over the crossbar, and attempts by Tiffanie Stanton and Stephanie Williams sailed high, as well. Home fans thought they’d secured a lead when Maureen Dugan let go from the left side of the box with Dittbrenner out of position, but the ball tracked just outside the right goalpost.

At the other end, Chestnut Hill defender Erin Bagdasarian spoiled one of the Macs’ best chances when she took the ball off the feet of a forward on a fast break by the visitors. By halftime, the Griffins led their guests 15-6 in the shot column, but the score was still 0-0.

“The one thing we’re having a problem with this year is finishing,” admitted CHC coach Michele Mocarsky. “It took us awhile today, and we did finish in the end, but the score could’ve been 7-0 with the shots we had. We emphasize defense, but sometimes we get caught up playing too defensively, and when we go up on offense not everyone gets there when they should.”

The Griffins lost fleet forward Casey Manzi for the season when the sophomore broke her leg during a road game in mid-September. Manzi was the Griffins’ top scorer as a freshman in 2005.

Whenever a club fails to cash in on its scoring chances, it runs of the risk of being beaten by a fluke goal for the opposing side. Sure enough, Immaculata took a 1-0 lead early in the second period on Melissa Hopely’s 35-yard lob from the center of the field.

Now trailing a team they knew they should beat, the Griffins stepped it up. A high shot by Amanda Favreau was tipped away by the keeper, and the hosts didn’t get off a shot on the resulting corner kick. Approaching the box from the left wing, Nichols dribbled along the 18 for a few meters, then cut inside and scored on a high shot to the right side of the cage.

The game was now tied with 30:37 remaining, but it would be more than 20 minutes before the Griffins would enjoy their first lead of the day. The winner was hit by Treen from about 15 yards in front of the left post, moving the locals ahead 2-1 with exactly eight minutes to go.

Back in the defensive half, CHC’s Deflaviis made a save at the upper left corner on a ball fired by the Macs’ Charlene Henry, and the Griffins moved back up on offense. On a CHC pass sent up from midfield on the right flank, both Chestnut Hill’s Smith and Dittbrenner (the Immaculata keeper) raced for the ball near the 18. Smith got there first and poked the ball towards the middle of the box, providing Nevius with an open shot. The freshman deposited the insurance goal with 6:04 remaining, and the game ended at 3-1.

UPDATE – The Chestnut Hill women chalked up another home field win on Wednesday afternoon, beating Philadelphia Biblical University, 1-0, on Maureen Dugan’s long-range rocket from the left wing with four minutes remaining in the game. Although the visiting Crimson Eagles were favored in both total shots (18-13) and corners (4-1), the Griffins might have won 2-0 if they hadn’t shot high on a second-half penalty kick. CHC’s Deflaviis made nine saves, and after the game it was announced that she had been named North Eastern Athletic Conference Student-Athlete of the Week for the week ending September 23.