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Women’s Soccer Falls to No. 16 TCNJ 1-0

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HOBOKEN, NJ (September 20, 2022) – Junior Dana Perry made a career-high five saves, but the Stevens Institute of Technology women’s soccer team fell to No. 16 The College of New Jersey 1-0 Tuesday in a non-conference matchup at the DeBaun Athletic Complex.

Ivonne Vasquez broke through in the 73rd minute for the Lions, who won their fourth straight match to improve to 5-1-1 on the year.

Graduate student Fiona Matthews and junior Jana Mucci had quality scoring chances for the Ducks, who dropped to 1-3-3. The contest marked the Ducks’ second of four matches with nationally-ranked opponents.

Corinne Byrum had three saves for TCNJ to earn the clean sheet.

With the teams deadlocked, Vasquez jumped a pass inside the 18 and beat Perry with a low, line-drive shot into the right corner for her second goal of the season.

Byrum turned aside a pair of Mucci chances in the second half. Mucci attempted to put Stevens in front in the 63rd minute, firing one towards the corner before Byrum smothered the shot. Mucci had another chance in the 86th minute, driving a service into the center of the net that the TCNJ netminder was able to hang on to.

Matthews had the Ducks’ best chance in the first half, nearly tucking one into the right corner in the 27th minute. The New Milford, New Jersey native’s initial shot from inside the 18 was blocked, but Matthews quickly recovered and sent a second attempt towards the net, but the ball was carried past the net and out of play.

Partnering with the Stevens defensive group, Perry stopped two shots in the first half and three more in the second, to help keep the Lions off the board. The Lions entered the match averaging 5.6 goals per match over their last six contests.

Unsung Hero

  • Matthews saved a goal in the first half. TCNJ’s Gianna Coppola fired a shot from the left side of the 18. Perry pushed the try aside, but the ball carried towards the goal line, where Lindsay O’Keefe was waiting for an easy tap-in. However Matthews cleared the ball with her right foot to keep the match scoreless.

Inside the Numbers

  • TCNJ finished with a 17-8 edge in shots, including a 6-3 edge in shots on frame. The Ducks weathered an early second-half storm as the Lions had three shots and a corner kick in the first 15 minutes of the period.
  • TCNJ held a 4-1 edge in corner kicks.
  • TCNJ’s Emma Pascarella had a scoring chance off the post during the Lions’ burst early in the second half.
  • Perry has recorded at least two saves in every appearance this season.

From the Sidelines – Head Coach Jeff Parker

  • “Tough pill to swallow tonight, but that’s the game. In many ways, this was our best performance of the season. Both teams had chances and they finished one. That’s what the best teams do. There is no doubt that we can compete with the best teams in the country, but we need that last step in order to get better results. Hats off to the visitors for getting the result tonight. We’ll be back at growing tomorrow.”

Up Next

  • Women’s Soccer heads to Newport News, Virginia on Sept. 24, for a meeting with the defending national champions, and current top-ranked, Christopher Newport. Stevens will face both of last season’s national finalists over a five-day span.
  • The matchup is believed to be the first meeting between the teams.
  • A link for live stats is available on StevensDucks.com.

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