SPARKILL, N.Y. – Opening the week on the road Tuesday afternoon, the regionally ranked No. 7 Queens College women's soccer team faced St. Thomas Aquinas College Spartans in East Coast Conference (ECC) action at Spartan Field.
Queens grabbed an early lead on a free-kick goal from junior
Keeley Harden before the Spartans leveled the match from the penalty spot. In the second half, senior
Ashley Kieblesz delivered the game-winning goal before sophomore
Ana Impellizzeri added an insurance goal to propel the Knights to a 3-1 victory over the Spartans.
Queens improves to 7-3 overall and 2-0 in ECC play on the season. For the first time under fifth-year head coach
Thomas Paris, the Knights have opened conference play with a 2-0 record. It marks the fourth time in program history and the first time since the 2010 season that Queens has started ECC play 2-0.
MATCH RECAP
Queens dictated the tempo and controlled the run of play throughout the 90 minutes as the Knights consistently applied pressure in the attacking third.
The Knights appeared to take an early lead just six minutes into the contest when senior
Anna Tavantzis headed home a corner kick, but the goal was disallowed due to an offside infraction.
The offside call and a resilient Spartans defense continued to frustrate the Queens attack before senior
Kayla Camacho drew a foul to earn a free kick for the Knights from 10 yards outside the box. Harden stepped up to the spot and delivered a right-footed strike that found the inside of the left post and beat the STAC goalkeeper to give Queens a 1-0 lead in the 27th minute.
The Spartans answered four minutes later, converting from the penalty spot in the 31st minute to level the match at 1-1.
Over the final 12 minutes of the opening half, the Knights generated six shots, including three on target, but both sides entered halftime deadlocked at 1-1.
Queens came out aggressively after the halftime break, controlling the run of play and outshooting the Spartans, 19-1, in the second half in search of the go-ahead goal.
Despite the sustained pressure, the STAC goalkeeper and backline continued to withstand the Knights' attacking chances.
Queens finally broke through in the 75th minute when Tavantzis slipped a through ball into the path of Kieblesz. The senior forward collected the pass and unleashed a left-footed strike from 10 yards that found the upper-left corner to put the Knights ahead, 2-1.
The Knights added an insurance goal in the 86th minute. Junior
Scarlet Adams played a ball toward the right post for a streaking Impellizzeri, who finished with a right-footed strike past the STAC goalkeeper to extend the Queens advantage to 3-1.
Queens managed the final minutes comfortably to secure its seventh victory of the season and second ECC win.
BY THE NUMBERS
- Queens outshot STAC 30-3, and held an 18-1 shots on goal advantage.
- Harden, Kieblesz, and senior Jenna Rosenberger combined for 15 shots and 10 shots on goal.
- Harden recorded her first career goal and extended her season points tally to three.
- Kieblesz recorded her team-leading ninth goal of the season and extended her team-best point total to 18.
- Impellizzeri recorded her second goal of the season and extended her points tally to five on the year.
- Tavantzis recorded her third assist of the season and extended her points tally to nine on the year.
- Adams recorded her first assist of the season.
- In goal, Hines-Hirsch earned her seventh victory of the year.
NEXT MATCH
Queens continues ECC play Saturday, Oct. 3, when the Knights welcome Molloy University Lions to Knights Field. Kickoff is set for 5:30 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)
