NEW BRITAIN, Conn.- Saint Francis women's soccer extended their unbeaten streak on the road to four matches with an impressive 4-2 win over CCSU on Thursday night.
"This team has so much fight in them. They keep showing up and getting better with each performance. Saint Francis head coach
Brian Diaz said. "This was a great team performance tonight. Defensively we were able to hold a dangerous attack for most of the match, and offensively we were clicking on all cylinders."
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
>> Tomke Dziesiaty, Alyssa Mella and Raine Korpics each netted goals. Mella scored twice.
>> Riley Cerqua and Rita Kendziora tallied assists on the second and third goals respectively.
>> Emma Sawich made eight saves in the match.
TURNING POINTS OF THE GAME
Dziesiaty fired a shot over the head and arms of the CCSU keeper to put Saint Francis in front after 21 minutes. The Blue Devils leveled the match just four minutes later.
Mella helped Saint Francis take back control of the match with a goal just five minutes before halftime. The freshman would make it a brace for herself just eight minutes into the second half and double the Red Flash lead.
Koprics would increase the lead with a goal nine minutes after Mella's second goal.
CCSU would get one back late in the second half to make it 4-2.
"We have been unlucky in front of goal for much of the season but today we were rewarded for our quality of play." Diaz said. "These young ladies keep digging and keep fighting every match. They are an amazing group.".
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Red Flash were on the front foot early, controlling the play and firing off three shots in the opening 12 minutes.
Sawich made two saves in two minutes to keep things level in the opening 10 minutes.
Dziesiaty got things started in the 21st minute with a goal, but the Blue Devils swung the momentum right back with an equalizer shortly after.
Neither team could break the deadlock until Mella put the Red Flash back in front in the 40th minute thanks to a great feed from Cerqua.
Just 30 seconds after the go-ahead goal, Sawich prevented deja vu from happening when she stopped a CCSU shot to keep the lead intact headed into the half.
Much like in the first half, Saint Francis came out of the break firing. They took two shots that were off target before Mella found the back of the net off of a cross from Kendziora to double the lead in the 53rd minute.
The next Red Flash chance would also result in a goal, this time courtesy of Korpics to make it a 4-1 advantage.
CCSU would try to get back in the match throughout the middle portion of the half, but Sawich was there to deny them at every turn. The Blue Devils would eventually cut their deficit to two with a goal in the 82nd minute.
Mella nearly netted herself a hat-trick in the closing minutes of the match, but skied a shot that was created by a laser of a cross by Dziesiaty.
FLASH NUGGETS
Alyssa Mella registered her first career brace in the match.
Kendziora and Cerqua each posted their first point of the season with their respective assists. It marked the first point of Cerqua's career.
Sawich has now saved at least 75 percent of shots on target in 12 out of 16 matches this season.
With eight saves on the night, Sawich has now made at least eight saves in a match on five occasions this season.
UP NEXT
The Red Flash will return home for their final home match of the campaign and host LIU on Oct. 27 at 1:00 p.m. for Senior Day.
