PITTSBURGH, Pa. (Oct. 20) – Bella Meder scored the game-winning goal in the 84th minute, lifting the Saint Vincent women's soccer team to a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Chatham in a Presidents' Athletic Conference matchup on Tuesday evening at UPMC Graham Field.
The victory marked the Bearcats' sixth consecutive win, improving their record to 12-2-1 overall and 7-1-1 in PAC play. Saint Vincent continued its impressive stretch of conference play, overcoming an early deficit to secure another important road victory.
Saint Vincent controlled much of the offensive action in the opening half, but it was Chatham that struck first in the 24th minute. Elizabeth Gallup found the back of the net off an assist from Sarah Vescio at the 23:41 mark, giving the Cougars an early 1-0 advantage.
Despite falling behind, the Bearcats continued to apply offensive pressure, eventually finding the equalizer late in the opening half. Addie Fisher scored her fourth goal of the season off an assist from Cori Bieber at the 38:26 mark, evening the score at 1-1 heading into halftime.
Saint Vincent held a commanding 13-3 advantage in shots during the opening 45 minutes, including a 7-2 edge in shots on goal, but Chatham goalkeeper Kyanni Escudero made six first-half saves to keep the contest tied.
The Bearcats continued to battle throughout the second half, looking to break the deadlock as both teams remained scoreless for much of the period.
With just over six minutes remaining in regulation, Meder delivered the decisive goal for Saint Vincent. The sophomore found the back of the net at the 83:44 mark for her sixth goal of the season, giving the Bearcats their first lead of the evening at 2-1.
Saint Vincent's defense took care of the rest, holding Chatham scoreless over the final minutes to secure the come-from-behind conference victory.
The Bearcats held a 19-6 advantage in shots, including a 10-4 edge in shots on goal. Saint Vincent also recorded 10 corner kicks compared to just two for the Cougars.
Emma Koller and Emily Ambrose led the Saint Vincent offensive attack with four shots apiece, including two on goal each. Fisher added three shots, all on goal, to go along with her goal, while Bieber and Lexi Graham each finished with two shots. Meder scored the game-winner on her lone shot of the evening.
Rilyn Warner played all 90 minutes in goal for Saint Vincent, making three saves to earn the victory. Escudero finished with eight saves for Chatham in the losing effort.
The victory continued an impressive stretch for the Bearcats, who have now won six consecutive contests and eight of their last nine matches. Saint Vincent has outscored its opponents 20-1 during its current six-game winning streak.
The Bearcats return to action on Saturday, October 24, when they host Allegheny in another important PAC matchup. The contest is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. at UPMC Field in Latrobe.
