TROY, N.Y. – Freshman
Emily Kaplan ripped home the only goal of the game to send the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) women's soccer team past SUNY Plattsburgh, on Monday night at East Campus Stadium. With the win, the Engineers improve to 7-1, while the Cardinals drop to 5-4.
Kaplan (Smithtown, NY/Hauppauge) took a ball up the left wing from classmate
Jeanine Moreau (Litchfield, CT/Phillips Academy) and cut across the top of the 18, before rifling a shot into the top right corner of the net for her team leading fourth goal of the season.
Rensselaer, which came out flying in the second half, had a number of chances to score before Kaplan was finally able to break through. A pair of early
Maddie Steinmetz (Malvern, PA/West Chester East) corners preceded two shots from distance by junior
Stephanie May (Windham, NH/Central Catholic), but the first went wide and the second was turned away by Plattsburgh sophomore goalkeeper Nichole Gibson (Arkport, NY/Arkport Central School).
The Cardinals turned in their best chance to score in the 88th minute, when junior Madeline Saccocio (Schenectady, NY/Schalmont) made a driving 40-yard run up the left flank. She slotted a left-footed ball across the front of goal, which rolled wide and away from freshman Katie Matott (Rouses Point, NY/Northeastern Clinton Central), before she could get a touch to it.
Shots were even in the first half (5-5) with RPI creating the best scoring opportunity in the 12th minute. Junior
Sara Harper (Farmington, UT/ Viewmont) collected a loose ball at the top of the 18 and curled a right-footed attempt that was tipped over the bar by Gibson.
Rensselaer freshman goalie
Joey Lyons (Harwood, MD/Southern) made four saves to claim her fifth shutout of year, while Gibson had 10 stops at the other end of the field.
The Engineers are back in action this weekend, when they host RIT and No. 2 William Smith in their first two Liberty League games of the season, on Friday (4pm) and Saturday (2pm), respectively. Plattsburgh visits SUNY Oswego on Friday (3pm).
