EMMANUEL TOPS SUFFOLK IN GNAC WOMEN’S SOCCER OPENER

Somerville, Mass. - The Emmanuel College Saints topped the Suffolk University Rams, 2-1 in the opening game of Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) women's soccer action on Wednesday evening. With the win, Emmanuel ups its record to 3-2 on the season and is unbeaten at 1-0 in the GNAC.  Suffolk is still seeking its first win of the 2012 season at 0-4 overall and 0-1 in the league.

The Saints, who won this game by the same score last year on their home field, jumped out to a quick 2-0 edge in the first half.  The visitors then held on as the Rams made a push late in hopes of tying the game, but the hosts would come up short.

It would take just eight minutes before the Saints got the first strike of the game. Senior Meghan Zerba (Cumberland, R.I.) converted a feed from junior Lindsey Garvey (Warwick, R.I.) for the 1-0 edge.

Emmanuel tacked on to their lead with less than two minutes remaining in the half, as freshman Katelyn Fink (Sanford, Me.) scored her first career collegiate goal with a header that was started by sophomore Cate Taras (Belchertown, Mass.).

Suffolk would finally get on the board in the game's eighty-fifth minute as sophomore Danielle Resha (Wakefield, Mass.) knocked in a pass off the foot of freshman Meghan Jackson (Atkinson, N.H.) to cut the deficit in half.

Resha's goal was her first of the season and nearly second of the evening as she converted a breakaway earlier in the first half, but was flagged for being offsides, negating the goal. Resha finished the game with four shots on target.

Senior Jessica D'Ottavio (Pawling, N.Y.) made eight saves in goal to earn her third win of the season for the Saints.  Freshman Tabitha Michaelidis (Walpole, Mass.) made six saves in a losing effort. Michaelidis was strong towards the final 15 minutes of the contest as she made five of those saves to keep the Rams in the contest.

The evenly matched offensive battle featured the Saints just narrowly out-shooting the Rams with 15 shots (8 on goal), to Suffolk's 13 (9 on goal).

Both teams will be back in GNAC action on Saturday afternoon. Emmanuel College will host Lasell College at 1:00 PM in the Saints' home opener. Suffolk travels to Norwich University for a 3:00 PM matchup with the Cadets.

- Courtesy of Suffolk University Sports Information