GWYNEDD VALLEY, Pa. (November 5, 2008) - The conference championship run for the Centenary women’s soccer team ended this afternoon, as the Lady Cyclones dropped a 1-0 decision to Gwynedd Mercy College in their CSAC Semi-final match up.  The loss gives Centenary an overall record of 9-9-2, as it waits to see if its season will continue in the ECAC Metro Region Tournament. As for Gwynedd Mercy, the Griffins will move on to Saturday’s conference final versus Marywood University.

In today’s action the Lady Cyclones were unable to get on track offensively for much of the opening half despite recording five shots in the period to GMC’s six. The teams goalkeepers combined to make six first half saves keeping the game scoreless at the halftime break. As both teams continued to look for the go ahead tally through the first ten-plus minutes of the second half, Gwynedd Mercy did just that in the 62nd minute. The Griffins Kirstyn Varas scored her sixth goal of the season, off a cross from Gwen Conte, giving the hosts the 1-0 lead.

 
Over the final twenty minutes of the game, Centenary created a few scoring opportunities for themselves, but all were turned away by GMC’s goalkeeper Kristie Pollock. She was able keep Centenary off the scoreboard, including a diving save with just less than 10 minutes to go in the contest off the foot of Centenary's Brittany Overland (Andover, N.J./Newton), which would have tied the game.

In the loss for the Lady Cyclones Ashley Denti (Sergentsville, N.J./Hunterdon Central) made three saves.  Boxscore

(11/1/08)  Freshman Brittany Overland (Andover/Newton) and the Lady Cyclones clinched the 3rd seed in this week’s CSAC Conference Playoffs, with their 2-1 victory over Immaculata University on Saturday afternoon.  Overland was responsible for both Centenary goals as she capitalized on a pair assists from teammate Sam Vanni (Ogdensburg/Wallkill Valley).

The Centenary women fell behind early 1-0 when IU’s Jennfier Streinke put the hosts on top in the 20th minute. Just over ten minutes later Overland recorded the equalizer knotting the game at 1-1.  As the teams went to the halftime break, the Lady Cyclones held the slight edge in shots 6-5.  The score read the same until the 72nd minute, when Overland and Vanni teamed up again for the game winner.  Despite being outshot 10-2 in the second half, Centenary came away with their eighth victory of the season, and seventh in the CSAC. 

The win gave the Lady Cyclones the third seed in the upcoming post season playoffs, which get underway on Monday afternoon.  Centenary and Immaculata will turn around ad again face off in the opening round, this time on the campus of Centenary.  Game time scheduled for 1:00pm.  Boxscore

(10/30/08)  The Lady Cyclones jumped out to an early 2-0 lead, thanks impart to a pair of assists from Jen Dexter (Kenvil/Roxbury), and goals from Sam Pena (Ogdensburg/Wallkill Valley) and Caitlin Veverka (Bayonne/Holy Family) in the opening nine minutes of play.  Centenary kept the visiting Defenders scoreless for the half, outshooting them 8-3 for the period. 

To open the second half of play Baptist Bible returned the pair of tally’s, when Jessica Pollack registered a pair of goals 79-seconds apart, coming on assists from Erin Law and Carly Harper.  Baptist Bible was unable to record the go ahead, despite outshooting the Lady Cyclones 7-1 in the second half.  As the game headed into the first overtime period still tied at 2-2, the momentum again swung the way of Centenary.  The host women possessed the ball much of the first extra stanza and into the second.  Each team recorded a pair of shots in the extra time, although neither side was able to find the back of the net.

Centenary’s Ashley Denti (Sergentsville/Hunterdon Central) made fives saves on the day, while BBC’s Melanie Williams tallied seven.  The draw moves Centenary to 7-8-2 on the season, 6-2-1 in the CSAC.  Baptist Bible moves to 15-2-2 overall, 7-2-1 in the conference.  Boxscore  

(10/22/08)  Stockton sophomore Ashley Goodsell scored her first career goal in the first half as Richard Stockton defeated the Lady Cyclones 2-1 in a non-conference game.  The victory for the Ospreys was their sixth consecutive win and improves them to 15-2-1, while the loss drops Centenary to 6-8-1.

Stockton struck first in the 40th minute, when Goodsell capitalized on a rebound after Samantha Bean’s initial shot was saved by Centenary keeper Ashley Denti (Sergentsville, NJ/ Hunterdon Central).  Holding the 1-0 lead into the halftime break, the host Osprey’s extended the cushion to 2-0 in the 53rd minute when Melissa Scully scored her second goal of the season.  Later in the half the Lady Cyclones pulled themselves back to within one, when Bianca Santulli (Bridgewater/ Bridgewater) scored on a penalty kick in the 84th minute.  Unfortunately for Centenary they were unable to find the equalizer over the final five-plus minutes and dropped the 2-1 road decision.  Boxscore 

(10/15/08)  The visiting Pacers of Marywood down the Centenary Women’s Soccer team 2-0 in their CSAC match-up earlier this afternoon to keep their perfect conference record in tact.  The win improves Marywood to 7-0 in the conference and atop the standings, while the loss drops Centenary to 4-2 and into third place.

In a defensive minded first half, the visitors broke through for the lone goal of the period in the 44th minute, when the Pacers awarded a penalty kick on Lady Cyclones foul in the box.  Freshman Taylor Simmons converted the chance, giving Marywood the 1-0 advantage heading into halftime.  In the second period it was more of the same, as both teams struggled to create to offensive chances.  Marywood managed an insurance goal in the 71st minute when Claudia Mazza connected on a shot from ten yards outside the top of the box, which found the back of the net.  Unfortunately for the host women, they were unable to answer in the final thirty minutes, losing just their second game in nearly three weeks.

In the goal for Marywood, Meghan Coyle made five saves to preserve the shutout, while Centenary’s Ashley Denti (Sergentsville/Hunterdon Central) made two.   Boxscore

(9/28/08)  On Saturday the Lady Cyclones Soccer team dropped a 2-1 overtime decision to Cabrini College, moving them to 1-1 in CSAC play.  The loss also drops Centenary to 2-6-1 overall on the season.

The two teams played a scoreless first half, as the host Lady Cavaliers controlled the majority of the possession outshooting the visitor’s 11-3.  The Centenary however drew first blood on the scoreboard in the 74th minute when Bianca Santulli (Bridgewater/Bridgewater) found Jen Dexter (Kenvil/Roxbury) for a strike from 12-yards out that beat the Cabrini goalkeeper.  Cabrini responded less than three minutes later, tying the contest at one goal when sophomore Dana Nardello’s sprint down the left side and into the box resulted in her second score of the season.  The score remained 1-1 into the first overtime, until the Lady Cavaliers Sabina DeGisi found the back of the net five minutes into the action, giving Cabrini the 2-1 golden goal victory.

Cabrini improves to 5-4 overall with the win, and remains unbeaten in conference play at 2-0.  In the loss for Centenary sophomore goalkeeper Ashley Denti (Sergentsville/Hunterdon Central) made 14 saves, while facing 36 shots.  Boxscore

(9/14/08)  Earlier today in a non-conference match, the Violets of NYU handed the Centenary Women’s Soccer team their fourth loss of the season by the final of 4-0.  The Lady Cyclones drop to 1-4-1, as NYU improves to 4-2.

New York University jumped in front early on an assist from Emily Jenkinson to Filiz Kipcalki in the 16th minute.  The Violets then tacked on a second first half tally, less than five minutes later when Jenkinson scored one of her own on an assist from Lucy Dolly Caires.  The game remained in favor of the visitor’s at the halftime break.

Early in the second period, NYU extended their advantage to 3-0 when the Violets leading goal scorer Sarah Pillemer connected on an assist from Rebecca Assing.  NYU finished off the scoring in the 80th minute when Jenkinson recorded her second goal of the game on a free kick, giving her a game total of five points.  NYU goalkeeper Alex Walters made two saves in the victory, while the Lady Cyclones Ashley Denti (Sergentsville/Hunterdon Central) made eight.    Boxscore

(9/10/08)  Earlier today the visiting Red Hawks of Montclair State Women’s Soccer team came away with a 3-2 victory in overtime over the host Lady Cyclones of Centenary.  However the win, which needed extra time, did not come easy.  Montclair broke the hearts of Centenary in 95th minute when they connected on a free kick to improve themselves to 2-1 in the early going.  The loss drops Centenary to 1-3-1 overall.

The scoring barrage started early and was often as the two teams combined for three goals in the first twenty minutes of play.  The Lady Cyclones struck first when sophomore Sam Vanni (Haskell/Lakeland) teamed with Kiti Ovaskainen (Helsinki, Finland) to give the host a 1-0 lead.  MSU’s Rachel Senyszyn did allow the Red Hawks to trail for long.  Senyszyn recorded back-to-back goals in the 11th and 20th minutes, on assists from Katie Minervini and Natalia Sisti to push the visitor’s in front 2-1.  A lead that held through the remainder of the first half..

In the second half the scoring chances again were there, the difference in this period was that neither team could capitalize.  One shot that did find the back of the net however was in the 51st minute off the foot of Centenary’s Lisa Stankiewicz (Moylan, PA/Archbishop Prendergrast) which tied the game at 2-2.  The teams then each hit a stretch of bad luck over the next fifteen minutes.  The Lady Cyclones missed first, having two straight corner kick opportunities glance of the post and then the cross bar, keeping them scoreless.  The Red Hawks retuned the favor shortly after having a shot from the top of the box just skim the cross bar at their end.  Regulation time would end with the game knotted 2-2.

In the first overtime Centenary and Montclair managed one corner and a pair of shots in the opening four minutes.  Following a hand ball call against Centenary just outside the 18-yard box at their defensive end, MSU’s Angela Martone stepped up and scored the game winner on a free kick that sailed just under the cross bar.  The golden goal gave the Red Hawks their second victory of the year and extends the Lady Cyclones losing streak to two.  Montclair’s Leah Tepperman made eight saves in the win, while Centenary’s Ashley Denti (Sergentsville/Hunterdon Central) finished with six.

Boxscore

(9/6/08) Earlier this afternoon in the midst of a driving rain storm, the Centenary Women’s Soccer team dropped a 7-0 decision to the #2 ranked Messiah Falcons.  The loss drops the Lady Cyclones to 1-2-1 in the early going this fall, as Messiah continues their undefeated beginning at 4-0.

Centenary was unable to muster any offensive attack versus the Messiah defense and found themselves trailing 3-0 in the opening 20 minutes of play.  Sophomore goalkeeper Ashley Denti (Sergentsville/Hunterdon Central) made 10 saves in the contest, before giving way to Allie Strell (Florham Park/Hanover Park) for the final thirty minutes.

Centenary will be back in action this Wednesday afternoon on campus as they play host to Montclair State University.  Kick-off is scheduled for 4:00pm.

Boxscore

(8/31/08) In today’s early action of the Centenary College Lady Cyclones Kickoff Classic Tournament, the Greensboro College Pride evened their early season record with a 2-1 overtime victory over Lebanon Valley College.

Greensboro took the early advantage when Katie Timmons played a terrific cross into the box from just outside the right-hand edge, and found the foot of Cassie Shepherd.  Shepherd promptly planted the pass into the back of the net for the 1-0 lead.  For the remainder of the half, the opposition, Lebanon Valley created the scoring opportunities out-shooting Greensboro 4-2 in the opening period.  In the second half, the teams again traded a few decent chances until the 61st minute.  Leb Val’s Lauren King tied the game 1-1 when her first shot was saved and rebounded directly back to her, giving her a second chance which she put away.  The Dutchmen held off a few late scoring chances, as goalkeeper Alyson Reitmeyer made three second half saves, sending the game into extra time. 

The contest was then decided just three minutes into the overtime period, when the Pride’s Tessa Hall took on three Leb Val defenders in the box and slipped the ball into the bottom left corner registering the win for Greensboro College.  The 2-1 victory gave both teams (Lebanon Valley and Greensboro) an even 1-1 record for the weekend tournament.  Greensboro’s Katie Allegro made four saves in the contest.  Boxscore

(8/30/08) Earlier today in the second game of the 2008 Lady Cyclones Kickoff Classic, the visiting Dutchmen of Lebanon Valley College defeated host Centenary College 2-0, on a pair of second half goals.

In the opening half of play the teams played an even game with the home Lady Cyclones out-shooting the guests 6-5. Centenary did however have the better scoring chances but were unable to push any past Leb Val goaltender Alyson Reitmeyer.  In the second period it was unfortunately more of the same for the Lady Cyclones as they had a few shots slide just wide of the goal keeping the game scoreless through the first 75 minutes.  Then in the 76th minute, the Dutchmen capitalized on one of their two second half corners, when Ely Kirkhoff found the foot of Kylee Zeisloft giving LVC the 1-0 advantage.  Just over six minutes later the visitor’s tacked on a second tally when Dana Thomsen gathered a rebound off another corner kick for her first goal of the season.

The pair of goals proved to be enough for the Dutchmen who move to 1-0 with the victory, while Centenary falls to 0-1 with the opening loss.  For Centenary, sophomore goalkeeper Ashley Denti (Sergentsville/Hunterdon Central) made five saves.