A much improved Bristol team came into UM hungry for a win. Bristol was aggressive and tenacious on defense. It was definitely a game between the 25’s for the first half, not many shots for either team. Then in the 3rd quarter, Bristol got the upper hand and pressured in our defensive circle.
After a scrum in front of the cage and with multiple players in the goal, on the ground or stacked on top of each other, the ball went over the line and was called a goal to put Bristol ahead.
Our goalie Tierney Hogan stood tall throughout the game making 10 saves. The 3rd quarter, Hogan was SO TOUGH in the circle with 6 saves during that quarter.
As the game continued, UM continued to pressure in Bristol’s circle. Our subs have been doing great when called on this season. The coaches always ask that they keep the level of play at the same intensity when they go in the game. With the heat, many players were exhausted and we were looking at overtime in the 4th quarter. Sarah Hodum and Gianna Jones played well and were very reliable at forward. Charlotte Russo, Hannah Gardner, Harper Richmond, and Mia Hood were steady off the bench to keep us in the game and give the starters a much needed break.
When starters went back in the 4th quarter, we were able to take advantage of the more fatigued Bristol team and get several breakaways.
The first goal was scored 5 minutes into the 4th quarter off a shot from MJ Reilly and a rebound off the goalie where Melissa Torpey was in great position for a shot and score! Um continued to pressure and with 7:50 left in the game midfielder Olivia Torres passed the ball up to Melissa Torpey who took a strong shot on a difficult angle that caught the goalie off guard and ended up in the net! Torpey played with amazing energy today! When it was over the 50, her play became inspirational to the whole team!
Abby Kelly had an awesome game at defense saving her team multiple times on the right side as Bristol pressured. Kelly had several dead stop tackles that she then converted into passes to the offense. Lyla Soleau, Bridget Hess and Reese Purcell also played well defensively to get the win.
Seniors Ella Gould and Addi Gans played their hearts out to get the win. They are both strong, dependable leaders that lead with communication, their play on the field and organization off the field.