NEW ROCHELLE, NY — Early Saturday afternoon, the visiting Canisius Golden Griffins scored late to sink the Iona College women’s soccer program, 1-0. The contest was the first for Brad Bolton serving as interim head coach for the Maroon & Gold.
The winning strike came in the 83rd minute when Cansisius freshman defense player Emily Czechnowski one-timed an attempted Iona clearance past senior goalkeeper Taylor Rice. The oppurtunity came after the Griffs earned a corner kick attempt, one of their five chances for the game. It was the rookie’s first of her collegiate career.
Rice made seven saves in the game before letting in the lone score; including a huge stop when Canisius fired three shots on goal in 15 second stretch at the 73:58 mark. Senior Kailee DeFranks made nine saves in the game and registered her second shutout of the season.
Iona’s offense gave the Gaels hope in the final moments, forcing the Golden Griffs to make three saves in the final three minutes. The best opportunity came when Mariana Jaramillo fired one to the lower right corner; it made its way past DeFranks but a stern Golden Griff backline kept the ball from the back of the net for a game-saving team save.
Junior Erika Flowers fired three shots for the Gaels, with freshman Jaramillo and sophomore Charlotte Stuart each taking aim at two scores, as well.
Iona will see its next action this Wednesday, Oct. 14 when they travel to take on the Marist Red Foxes in Poughkeepsie, NY. Kickoff currently scheduled for 4:00 PM.