By: John Jay Sports Information
Box Score In a wild championship affair, the top seed women's soccer team was crowned CUNYAC Champions after defeating No. 3 CCNY, 2-1, on a chilly Saturday afternoon on the campus of Brooklyn College.
"It feels fantastic and I am so proud of them," head coach
Casey Sommers said. "They really have been digging deep since last year's championship and we've been thinking about it for that full year."
The Bloodhounds dominated the first half but the Beavers goalkeeper made 10 saves in the period. In the 20th minute, CCNY found a loose ball inside the box and tapped it into the back of the net to give them an early 1-0 lead.
John Jay intensified the pressure but could not capitalize on their scoring opportunities. At halftime, the Bloodhounds led the shot category by a margin of 18-5. John Jay also had four corner kicks compared to the Beavers' one. Sophomore
Brittany Shaneberger tallied a pair of saves.
John Jay opened the second half by controlling the play but could not get one past CCNY's keeper. However with just under 20 minutes left in regulation, freshman
Jillian Golden sent a cross inside the box to
Jaime Bilotti. The senior blasted a shot into the far corner to tie the game as the Bloodhounds crowd went crazy. It was her third goal of the season.
With John Jay gaining the momentum, the Bloodhounds offense increased the pressure on the Beavers defense. With approximately 1:30 left to go, sophomore
Katie Healy made a perfect pass to
Kimberly Robledo to lead her on a breakaway. The junior slid one past the goalie to give the Bloodhounds their first lead of the championship. It would end up being her game-winning goal, and her 13th tally of the season.
"It was a great feeling," said the Most Valuable Player. "My coach always says the net never moves so I kicked it and it went in."
That was all they needed as John Jay went on to capture their first CUNYAC Title for the first time in program history. Healy finished with a match-high nine shots and match-high five shots on goal. Shaneberger recorded the victory after making three saves.
The Bloodhounds will now await word on their seeding in the NCAA Division III Tournament. This will be their first appearance as a program. The selection show is on Monday, November 11, at 1:00 pm on the NCAA DIII website.
