Record setting day propels Gators to ECAC Semifinals!

November 12, 2014

Record setting day propels Gators to ECAC Semifinals!

Staten Island

9-9-2

Russell Sage College

12-5-2

Final

Staten Island (9-9-2)

Russell Sage College (12-5-2)

Staten Island, NY – The Sage Colleges' women's soccer team had a record-setting day as they opened their competition at the 2014 Eastern College Athletic Conference Metro Division III Women's Soccer Tournament on Wednesday. Seeded No. 3, The Gators topped the Dolphins of the College of Staten Island, 3-2 in overtime. The victory represents the Gators' first win in ECAC Tournament play and a school-record 12^th win on the season. The Gators have advanced in the ECACs to the semifinals and will face Rutgers University-Newark, a quarterfinal winner over Lehman on November 15 at Rutgers University-Newark's ALumni Field at 2 p.m.

Sage improves to 12-5-2, while CSI's season ends with a 9-9-2 mark. Under the guidance of rookie head coach, Andrew Gamarra, the 2014 Gators are rewriting the school's women's soccer record book. The 12-win campaign for Gamarra and his Gators also surpasses the previous mark for most wins in a season, a feat achieved in 2003, when then Russell Sage College went 11-6-2.

The Gators trailed 2-0 at the half after CSI's Danielle Smith converted a feed from Danielle Alexandrini just 5:33 into the action as she settled in the box and shot far post. The Dolphins took a 2-0 lead when Stephanie Rivera scored at 37:53. She pushed the ball through on a feed from Melissa Gelardi, giving the CSI squad a 2-0 lead at the break.

Rookie defender Jenna Retell (Schaghticoke, NY/Burnt Hills Ballston Lake) put the Gators on the scoreboard with a penalty kick at 62:30. Retell has now converted 3 of 4 penalty kicks for the team this season and was rewarded for her play last week with a selection to the Skyline Conference Second Team. She now has four goals and 11 points.

Sophomore Taylor Lynch (Woodstock, NY/Saugerties) scored seconds later on a pass from junior co-captain Nicole Maher (Glen Clove, NY/Saint Dominic) at 62:53, tying the score at 2-2.

After 90 minutes of regulation, the game went to overtime and Maher needed just 43 seconds to do her magic, propelling the Gators into the semifinals with her overtime goal as she hit the ball through the far post side and scored at 90:43. Maher now has 28 career goals (No. 4) on the Gator career list with 14 assists (No. 4) and 70 career points (No. 3).

On the fall, the Gators have won eight of its last 10 games, while outscoring its opponents by a 48-23 margin in 19 contests.

Senior goalkeeper Teagan Waddingham (Coeymans Hollow, NY/Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk) had six saves in the contest and recorded the key win. On her career, she now 318 career saves, which is No. 4 on the Sage career record book, just two shy of tying Schuyler Kokernak (2004-2006, 320 saves). She has also played in 49 games and is now No. 2 all-time. She has 4,385 career minutes (No. 3). Named to the Skyline Conference Second Team, she is 11-5-2 this fall in net with a 1.96 GAA and a .752 saves percentage in net.