SELINSGROVE, PA (October 28, 2023) – Susquehanna women's soccer had it all to play for on Saturday afternoon, with the River Hawks celebrating Senior Day while also fighting for a spot in the Landmark Conference postseason in their final game of the regular season. With such stakes on the line, SU played what may have been their best game of the season, topping Drew 2-0 to earn the sixth seed in the postseason and a rematch with the Rangers in just a few days' time. Replicating the end of last season which saw SU face Drew in their final regular season game before facing them again in the opening game of the postseason, the only difference this year will be the reversal of venues.
The fixture between these two teams often produces sparks, and this iteration was no different, with each squad jockeying for supremacy in the early minutes and the River Hawks unleashing several shots early, something they've struggled to do this season. They would tally six in the first half, compared to only two for Drew, but the River Hawks would direct just one of those shots on goal. However, it proved to be the only one needed, as a ball launched from the flank, beyond 30 yards from the goal, miraculously found its way from the foot of Morgan Stickley into the back of the Drew goal, giving Susquehanna the lead on what was a cross turned shot in the 41st minute of the match.
Now protecting a lead, Susquehanna continued to attack the Drew defense, matching their first half shot total with six more in the second. They would put three of them on goal in the period, forcing two Drew saves along with seeing their lead double in the 58th minute. On another play that seemed to materialize out of thin air, Delaney Morton took the ball to the opponent's touchline, just managing a tap of the ball towards the central area before being fouled off the ball. However, with the help of advantage played by the referee, that tap would be enough to see the ball onto the foot of Emily Wertz, who played a cross in to a waiting Mikela Florio. She would mark her Senior Day with her first goal of the season, managing to chest the ball straight into the back of the net. That finish would also give Wertz her second assist of the day, as she played the ball to Stickley just prior to her goal as well.
With the lead now a more comfortable margin, the River Hawks did well to see it out, holding Drew to only six shots on the day and just one on goal, which would be saved by stalwart goalkeeper Kayleigh Saboja. A second yellow card to a Drew player would also see the Rangers go down to 10 players in the 85th minute, helping SU's cause and providing an added wrinkle to their rematch in a few days, as Emma Shatel, the player sent off for Drew, has started all 18 of their matches and will be sorely missed from their lineup as she serves the one-game suspension.
The match will take place on Tuesday, October 31 at 7 pm, with third seed Drew serving as hosts of the first-round bout and a spot in the semifinals, along with a date with second seed Catholic, on the line for the two squads.
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--RIVER HAWKS--
