Colonials falter in their second conference game of the year

Jonathan Hanna and Jonathan Hanna
September 23, 2018

Moon Township PA.- The Robert Morris Colonials women’s soccer team (3-9, 1-1 NEC) lost 1-0 to the Central Connecticut State University Blue Devils (7-1-2, 1-0 NEC) at a very slick North Athletic Complex on Sunday. This would be the Colonials second NEC game of the season after they beat the Wagner College Seahawks (1-8, 0-1 NEC) by a score of 2-1 on Friday.

The Colonials started off on the defensive side of the game, after goalie Sydney Bruckner made a fantastic save on a shot by Tiegan Ruddy at the 0:55 mark. The Colonials were again tested after a shot squeaked by Bruckner, but senior defender Samantha Lackner made an excellent clearance on the line. Sydney Bruckner again was asked upon in the 10th minute, making another diving save to her left to stop another shot by Central Connecticut’s Tiegan Ruddy.

For the next 10 minutes, the game was played primarily in the midfield, with neither team gaining much traction on the muddy pitch. The only scoring threat by either team was a shot in the 17th-minute by the Blue Devils’ Danielle Pearse that went wide. In the 26th minute, Central Connecticut scored the first of a game on a penalty kick by Charlotte Maurer that found the bottom left corner.

In the 31st-minute, the Blue Devils’ Tess Atkinson had a shot that was inadvertently saved by Robert Morris defender Megan Dinatale’s back of the head. Jenna Covello then had a chance for Central Connecticut in the 35th-minute, but was stymied after a terrific save by Bruckner. Sydney Bruckner was called on yet again after a cross came to Tess Atkinson, and the Colonials’ goalie slid to the right to prevent a goal.

At the end of the first half, the Central Connecticut State Blue Devils were up 1-0 on the Robert Morris Colonials after a penalty goal by Charlotte Maurer. The Colonials were outshot 8-1 in the half, and had four fouls compared to two by the Blue Devils. Sydney Bruckner had six saves in net for the Colonials.

In the 2nd minute of the second half, and 47th overall, the Colonials’ Taylor Burkley had a shot that seemed to go in, but it missed the left post and hit the side of the net. After a corner kick for Central Connecticut, there was a scrum in front of the net that had at least two shots hit the post, and another couple blocked, but the ball never crossed the line and was eventually grabbed by Sydney Bruckner.

The Blue Devils would continue to have pressure in the 2nd half, but a few saves by Bruckner, some missed nets, and some offsides calls would help the Colonials to keep just a one-goal deficit. For the last 10 minutes of the game, it was more of the same, the ball just being kicked around the middle of the field. The final whistle would result in the final being 1-0 Central Connecticut State University.

For the Colonials, goaltender Sydney Bruckner was the player who kept the team in the game, making great save after great save, finishing with 10 saves on the night. When asked about her practice habits, she said, “I always practice the way I want to play… I always go 110% in practice.”

Next, the Colonials travel to Teaneck, New Jersey on Sunday, September 30th, for an NEC match up against the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights (2-6-3, 0-0-1 NEC). The Knights last game was a 1-1 draw against the Mount St. Mary’s Mountaineers (1-6-2, 0-0-1 NEC) Head coach John Kowalski said that they would be practicing on attacking scenarios, stating that, “we need to connect better, to our forwards from our midfielders… we didn’t set up our forwards with any good situations.”