MADISON, NJ (October 29, 2022) – The stakes were high for Susquehanna women's soccer when they traveled to face Drew University for their regular season finale. A win would see the River Hawks clinch second place in the Landmark Conference and earn the chance to host the tournament semifinal matchup between the two teams, while a loss would mean returning to New Jersey in a few days to face the Rangers on their turf again. The River Hawks would rise to the occasion and grab the momentum for the playoffs, taking a 1-0 win on the day.
The offenses would take some time feeling out their opportunities in the opening minutes, with the first shot of the day coming for Susquehanna in the fifth minute, when a corner kick taken by Emily Wertz got to Mya Keim, whose shot went high over the bar. The River Hawks continued to look the livelier of the two teams early, but it would not be until the 21st minute that they would finally break through with a score. A ball deflected off a Ranger defender came to the feet of sophomore midfielder Cierra Getz, who made no mistake in finishing into the upper-right corner of the net, tallying what would prove to be the only goal of the match and her first score of the season.
The Rangers would be ignited by falling behind, tallying the next seven shots and forcing four saves from senior goalkeeper Carlie Marquette, all before reaching halftime. Marquette proved equal to them all and continued to do the same in the second half, as chances continued to stack up as Drew searched for an equalizer. The play would be end-to-end, as SU forced two saves from the Rangers' goalkeeper through shots from Mikela Florio and Gillian Maack.
The bulk of the chances continued to belong to Drew though, with the Rangers registering eight shots in the second half and forcing another four saves from Marquette, including two in the last five minutes of the match to help the River Hawks preserve the one-goal advantage. The hosts finished with 15 shots and eight of them on goal, all eight being saved by Marquette, a season-high total.
While the offensive output was not as hefty as is typical for the high-octane River Hawks, they'll be pleased with a gritty, defensive performance on the road against the now confirmed third seed in Drew. The win and shutout will buoy the team in their preparations for the rematch between the two squads on Tuesday, November 1 at 7 pm, this time in Selinsgrove and with the even greater stakes of a place in the Landmark Conference Championship on the line.
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--RIVER HAWKS--
