MARCY, N.Y. – The SUNYIT Women's Soccer Team (4-6-0, 3-3-0 NEAC) fell to the Penn St.-Harrisburg Nittany Lions (5-3-0, 4-0-0 NEAC) on Saturday, 3-2. Abbey Hanehan (Stillwater, N.Y. / Stillwater) scored late to give SUNYIT a fighting chance, but ultimately a five-point day from Harrisburg forward Lyndsay Naughton doomed the home team.
Naughton scored right off the bat in the 8th minute, carrying it from 30 yards out and beating SUNYIT keeper Aubrey Campbell (Auburn, N.Y. / Auburn) one-on-one for the goal.
Naughton struck again in the 41st minute, but not before SUNYIT leading scorer Stephanie Wurz (Whitesboro, N.Y. / Notre Dame) knocked home her 8th goal of the season off a great cross from Katie Driscoll (Aurora, N.Y. / Southern Cayuga). Driscoll beat her defender down the right side and laid a perfect cross right on top of the foot of Wurz for the score.
Down 2-1 coming out of the locker room, the Wildcats played a scrappy second half, keeping things tight until Rachel Shetler put the Lions up 3-1 in the 84th minute. Shetler received the ball from Kara Hoy, and in another one-on-one situation with Campbell was able to dribble around the SUNYIT keeper for the empty-net score.
Abbey Hanehan scored her 7th goal of the season in the 90th minute on a Kristina Strang (Rotterdam, N.Y. / Schalmont) assist, her second of the season, but it was just a little too late as the Nittany Lions hung on for their fourth conference win.
The Wildcats will return to the pitch tomorrow (Sunday) for another noon match, this time against the Gallaudet Bison.
