CALDWELL, N.J. – Wrapping up their road stand and non-conference schedule Saturday afternoon, the Queens College women's soccer team traveled to face Caldwell University Cougars at Caldwell Athletics Field.
Junior midfielder
Ashley Kieblesz (Middle Village, N.Y.) put the Knights ahead early, finding the back of the net in the ninth minute. The Cougars responded 10 minutes later to level the match at 1-1. Despite a standout performance from sophomore goalkeeper
Samantha Hines-Hirsch (Plainview, N.Y.), who recorded a career-best 12 saves, Caldwell netted the game-winner in the 79th minute to hand Queens a 2-1 defeat.
MATCH RECAP
The Cougars came out strong, testing Hines-Hirsch with two early shots on goal in the opening eight minutes.
After a Caldwell foul set up a Queens free kick, sophomore defender
Keeley Harden (Orlando, Fla.) delivered a well-placed cross into the box, where Kieblesz buried the Knights' first shot of the match in the ninth minute to give Queens an early 1-0 lead.
Caldwell continued to apply pressure, tallying five shots in the opening 20 minutes, but Hines-Hirsch stood tall to preserve the advantage. The Cougars eventually found the equalizer in the 19th minute to even the score at 1-1.
Despite being outshot 16-1 in the first half, Queens stayed level thanks to Hines-Hirsch's nine first-half saves as the teams entered the break tied.
The second half saw more action early, with Caldwell testing Hines-Hirsch again in the 47th minute, but the sophomore keeper made another crucial stop to keep the match level.
Queens responded with several quality chances of their own. In the 55th minute, freshman forward
Rebecca Pino (Bellport, N.Y.) forced a save off a corner kick, while sophomore forward
Abigail Jalocha (Maspeth, N.Y.) nearly broke the deadlock four minutes later, striking the crossbar.
Senior midfielder
Adriana Melgar (Queens, N.Y.) created back-to-back opportunities in the 70th and 76th minutes, but both attempts were turned aside by the Cougars' goalkeeper. Caldwell then capitalized in the 79th minute, netting the go-ahead goal to take a 2-1 lead.
Queens pushed hard in the closing stretch, outshooting Caldwell 5-0 over the final 10 minutes, but the Cougars' defense held firm to secure the win.
BY THE NUMBERS
- Kieblesz tallied her first goal of the year.
- Harden recorded her first assist of the year.
- In goal, Hines-Hirsch tallied a career-best 12 saves.
- The Knights were outshot 22-10, 14-4 on shots on goal.
NEXT MATCH
Looking to secure their third straight postseason appearance, the Knights conclude the regular season on home turf on Saturday, November 1, as they welcome the Roberts Wesleyan University Redhawks to Flushing in a key East Coast Conference matchup. Kickoff is set for 4:30 p.m.
For the latest news on Queens College Athletics, follow the Knights at queensknights.com or via social media on Facebook (Queens College Athletics), X (Formerly Twitter) (@QCKnights), Instagram (qcknightsny), women's soccer (qcwsoccer)
