WEST HAVEN, Conn. – For the second game in a row, Madison Blonde (Rockland, Mass./Rockland) scores the game winner as the New Haven women's soccer team picked up its second win in a row defeating Saint Anselm 3-2 on Saturday afternoon at Kathy Zolad Stadium. With the win, New Haven improves to 4-4-2 overall and 2-3 in the NE10.
Blonde's game-winner came just 42 seconds after the game-tying goal which was the second of the day for sophomore Vickie Fleming (Burlington, Conn./Lewis Mills). Blonde also picked up an assist on Flemings first goal of the day which came in early in the 17th minute.
Fleming broke the scoreless draw with her second goal of the season thanks to that assist from Blonde. The play began on the complete opposite end of the field as keeper Amanda McQuillan (Meath, Ireland/) dribbled out her box and sent a pass deep into the attacking zone where Blonde collected at the top of the box. She would hand off to fleming just outside the box where she dribbled forward a couple yards and fired to the bottom right corner just inside the upright.
Saint Anselm would go on to score two straight goals that came three minutes apart, all leading to a 2-1 lead at the intermission. That that point, the two squads were even in the shot column with five apiece with McQuillan making one save.
Nearly 30 minutes into the second half, Fleming struck again, tying the score at two thanks to an assist from Elizabeth Anderson (Lakeville, Mass./Apponequet Regional) who drove a pass to the opposite defensive third, looking just to clear the ball and reset. However, Fleming tracked down that pass outran her defenseman fired to the right corner from just inside the top of the 18-yard box and past the outstretched leg of the Hawks keeper.
After the ensuing restart, the two squads batted the ball back-and-forth in the midfield where Toom tracked it down and passed up the far sideline where Blonde tracked it down inside the attacking zone. Blonde would continue to drive up the sideline and at the middle of the box took a sharp left turn dribbled into the box and fired inside the near post netting the game-winner.
Overall for the afternoon, New Haven finished with an 11-9 advantage in the shot category while both keepers finished the day with a hat trick of saves. The two squads were also tied with five corner kicks apiece.
Despite being away from home for its next game, the Chargers will be close to home traveling just 10 minutes from campus to take on crosstown rival Southern Connecticut on Tuesday night in New Haven. That game is the lone one splitting up a series of four home games over a five-game stretch as the Chargers will return to Zolad for back-to-back home games starting next Saturday. For its next game at SCSU, opening kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. at Jess Dow Field and fans unable to make it to the game can catch all the action live on the Charger Sports Network, part of NE10 NOW.
