Sage Beats Southern Vermont 5-0

Sage Beats Southern Vermont 5-0

ALBANY- Senior Taylor Lynch (Woodstock, NY/Saugerties) and sophomore Joleen Marfone (Remsen, NY/Remsen) each scored twice in Sage's 5-0 win over Southern Vermont in women's soccer Saturday night.

After taking two shots in the beginning of the game, Marfone connected on a cross from Lynch. Marfone's shot hit the tip of Southern Vermont (3-2) goalie Melissa Mascari's fingers, but the ball's backspin caused the ball to go behind Mascari and into the net.

Three minutes later, Sage senior Monica Koralus (Verbank, NY/Milbrook) took a corner that found Marfone's head, but it was saved by Mascari. However, freshman Giovanna Fichera (Cornwall, NY/Cornwall Central) got on the rebound from the save and buried her first collegiate goal to put the Gators up 2-0. In the 16th minute, Marfone scored her second goal of the game when she dribbled through the back line of Southern Vermont, and scored in the bottom right corner.

The Gators took another three answered shots until Southern Vermont's Taylor Mallet teed up a shot in the 26th minutes, but Sage goalie Cassy Robataille (Amsterdam, NY/Amsterdam) saved Mallet's shot. Sage kept the pressure up as they got off six unanswered shots before halftime.

In the 48th minutes, Fichera played a ball over the top of the Mountaineer defensive line to Lynch who knocked it over Mascari's head and into the goal for Sage's fourth goal.

Six minutes later, Southern Vermont's Molly Madore tried to flick a corner from Jenna Retell into the Gator net, but the flick went wide. Sage responded five minutes later in the 59th minute when senior Cassidy Bruen (Baldwinsville, NY/Baldwinsville) crossed the ball from the right corner flag into the box. Bruen's cross found Lynch open on the far post and the senior headed the ball to give Sage the 5-0 win.

Mascari (3-2) picked up the loss on a 12 save effort while Robataille (3-2) was credited with the win and one save. Robataille combined for Sage's second clean sheet of the season with goalie Emma Augustine (Ellenville, NY/Ellenville) and defenders Koralus, Shelby Ruppenthal (Albany, NY/Guilderland), Brittany Gage (Pine Bush, NY/Pine Bush), Keeley Paull (Troy, NY/Lansingburgh) and Nicole Bauer (Monroe, NY/Monroe-Woodbury).

With tonight's two goal performance, Lynch is now tied for sixth in career goals (23) and seventh in points (53) in Sage history.

So far this season, Sage is being led by Lynch (10 points, 4 goals, 2 assists), Marfone (7 points, 3 assists, 2 goals), Samantha Trimblett (Monroe, NY/Monroe-Woodbury) (4 points, 2 assists, 1 goal) and Fichera (3 points, 1 goal, 1 assist) after five games.

Sage's next game is on the road at SUNY-Potsdam on Wed. Sept., 14 at 7 p.m. before opening conference play a week later at Mt. St. Vincent.