Sports
By Spencer Tracy, Staff Writer
The seniors of Xavier women’s soccer had one last dismal hurrah of the regular season at Corcoran Field this past Sunday against the Providence College Friars. Forward Izzie Wallace, midfielder Samantha Wiehe, forward Toni Fiocco-Mizer and defender Zoé Van de Cloot were all honored during a pre-game ceremony, highlighting the effort and commitment from the seniors. The smiles the ceremony brought did not last for the No. 20 ranked Musketeers as they ended the game with a loss.
Coming in at 5-8-1, the Friars were clearly the underdogs to the Musketeers, who had only lost once in the eight games prior to this game at Corcoran Field this season.
Xavier came out hot, forcing a corner kick within the first minute of the match but was unable to find the back of the net. The offense kept the pressure on, setting up an attack with an opportunity to strike first. Graduate forward Toni Fiocco-Mizer was served a cross into the Friars penalty box, striking a header that ended up missing the goal.
Xavier women’s soccer honored their four seniors and three graduate students at their last home game this past Saturday, when they lost to the Providence College Friars.
Five minutes later, Wiehe gave first-year forward Samantha Erbach a beautiful through ball, splitting two Friar defenders and allowing Erbach to put Xavier up 1-0 in the seventh minute. Erbach’s goal matched the team high with nine, equal only to the teammate who assisted her on the goal.
The Friars felt it was time for their offense to get rolling after Erbach’s goal. Two minutes later, a Providence striker ripped a shot at the Musketeers goal, which was deflected and saved by junior goalkeeper Maria Galley. Galley has excelled at defending the net throughout her collegiate career so far, making the Big East All-Freshman team and landing back-to-back Big East All-Second team honors.
Xavier attempted a few more shots before halftime and headed to the locker room with a 1-0 lead.
Halftime adjustments for Providence consisted of establishing a consistent offensive attack, giving their defense a break and applying pressure on the Musketeers. The only idea on Xavier head coach Dean Ward’s mind was how to put the Friars away while they had the chance.
Both teams returned to the field with new energy, which translated into the game plans for the second half. Less than 10 minutes in, Xavier defender Olivia Lawson and a Providence striker had a violent collision going for the ball which left the Friar down on the field for an extended period of time. The play was originally ruled a foul, but after further discussion by the officials, they gave a red card to Lawson. Head coach Dean Ward was visibly upset with the call being changed.
When the game resumed, Xavier was at a disadvantage, playing with only 10 on the field and just a one-goal lead. Neither team took charge of the second half until the 70th minute, when Xavier was given a yellow card, granting Providence a penalty kick and a chance to even the score. The Friars did exactly that, scoring with ease on the penalty kick and taking advantage of the mistake.
Minutes later, a defensive breakdown occurred in Xavier’s 18-yard box. The ball bounced like it was in a pinball machine before a Friars midfielder came in and crushed a shot into the net, giving Providence a 2-1 lead. A player down and only 18 minutes to play was too big of a challenge, and Xavier lost in frustrating fashion.
The Musketeers still have a strong chance to make a run for the Big East Tournament title. They will finish the year at Marquette on Sunday and lastly at Georgetown next Thursday.
