Oct. 17, 2004

Box Score

West Long Branch, NJ - The St. John's University women's soccer team closed out their non-conference schedule this afternoon, as they fell to Monmouth, 2-1 in a game played on the Great Lawn on the campus of Monmouth University. The Red Storm fall to 9-6-1 overall and finish with a 6-1-1 non-conference record, while the Hawks improve to 5-7-2.

Neither team had a great scoring opportunity in the early minutes of the game, until Monmouth broke through with the first goal of the game in the 25th minute. As the Red Storm tried to clear the ball from their zone, Monmouth's Kate Sands intercepted the ball and sent a pass to Brittani Heller in the middle of the field. Heller took one dribble and fired a shot from about 25 yards out that sailed over the head of St. John's goalkeeper Jaime Beran (Tuscan, AZ) into the back of the net.

The Red Storm pressured the Hawks' defense throughout the first half, taking five shots on goal, but was unable to get a quality attempt on Amy Shiffler, the Monmouth keeper.

St. John's continued to attacked Monmouth's defense in the second half as they out shot the Hawks, 10-6 for the half. Junior Jane Vongvorachoti (New Hyde Park, NY) provided the Red Storm with a couple early scoring opportunities in the second half, but one shot missed high to the right corner and the other was stopped by Shiffler from just inside the 18-yard box.

In the 63rd minute, an indirect kick was set up for the Red Storm just outside the 6-yard box, after sophomore Natasha Lee (Albuquerque, NM) was fouled in the box. However, junior Holly Ryder's (Plantation, FL) shot went just over the top left corner. Ryder had another attempt less than a minute later when she headed a ball off a direct kick from sophomore Erinn Flaherty (Clifton Park, NY) that was saved by Shiffler.

The Red Storm had another flurry of attempts in front of the Monmouth net, beginning in the 68th minute. A header by senior Kati Schantz (Yorba Linda, CA) that just missed the left post was followed by a shot by Ryder that saved by Shiffler near the right post. Minutes later, two shots in the box by Lee and classmate Erin Bohn (Mission Viejo, CA) both missed to the right side.

St. John's finally pulled even with 12:45 remaining in regulation on a header by Lee. Flaherty took a corner kick from the right side and sailed it across to senior Pristina Alford (Tacoma, WA) on the far side. The ball went back across the net to Lee, who headed it into the right side for her sixth goal of the season.

Monmouth, however, answered back quickly as they took back the lead less than four minutes later. After a failed clear attempt, Kate Sands sent a crossing pass from just outside the box on the left side to a streaking Kim Thompsen, who was wide open at the middle of the six-yard box. Thompsen blasted the ball past Beran to the right corner at 77:15 for the would-be game-winner.

The Red Storm were unable to get back even, despite controlling the ball in the Monmouth zone for the final 12 minutes.

Shiffler has nine saves in goal for the Hawks in the win, while Beran made three saves for the Red Storm.