Oct. 23, 2009
Box Score
VILLANOVA, Pa. - The Villanova Wildcats (8-7, 2-3 BIG EAST) fell to the visiting Orange of Syracuse (15-1, 5-0 BIG EAST) 5-3 on Friday night at Villanova Stadium under rainy and cold conditions. Sophomore goalie Megan Goelz (Yardley, Pa.) recorded 14 saves while junior Dana Ramsden (Woolwich Township, N.J.) notched two goals and junior Meredith Sabatini (Haddonfield, N.J.) provided two assists in the contest.
The back and forth matchup provided plenty of goals in the first half. The Orange were first to get on the scoreboard when freshman Amy Kee connected with Maggie Befort and Martina Loncarica off a penalty corner for the first goal of the game. Exactly two minutes later, the Wildcats found the equalizer when Ramsden took a straight shot to goal from a Sabatini pass to sneak the ball past Syracuse goalie Ashleigh McGowan and even the score to 1-1.
In the 30th minute, Syracuse's Maggie Befort was in the right place at the right time when she put the ball to the low post off an Amy Kee pass. Going into halftime, Syracuse led the contest by a 2-1 margin.
To begin the second half, Dana Ramsden found the back of the cage off a penalty corner opportunity when junior Lauren Wuzzardo put a perfectly placed ball near goal. With 34 minutes left to play, the score was tied once again at 2-2.
Five minutes later, Orange forward Amy Kee found the cage once again off another Syracuse corner. On the play, assists were credited to Martina Loncarica and Maggie Befort.
Villanova saw one more goal by junior Abby Sordoni (Shavertown, Pa.) in the 43rd minute when she took a breakaway to goal off a Meredith Sabatini pass. The goal marks the first of the season for Sordoni but would mark the last time the Wildcats would post a goal in the game.
Syracuse ended the contest with two more goals in the 47th and 61st minute. Martina Loncarica scored off a penalty stroke and junior Lindsay Conrad found the cage from a reverse stick shot to the far post. The final would favor Syracuse, 5-3.
Villanova's Megan Goelz played all 70 minutes in cage and made 14 saves in the loss. Syracuse's Ashleigh McGowan recorded one save while Leanne Stiver finished the game in cage for the Orange.
The Wildcats are back in action on Tuesday, Oct. 27th when they take on Philadelphia-rival Saint Joseph's at 7 p.m. in Villanova Stadium. The last home game of the season will honor Villanova's senior captains Steffi Caniglia (Wayne, Pa.) and Emily Donaldson (Glassboro, N.J.) for their contributions to the Wildcats over the course of their four-year careers.
