TROY, N.Y. – Senior
Whitney Wisnom scored the equalizing goal to help the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) women's soccer team to a 1-1 draw with SUNY Cortland, on Sunday afternoon at East Campus Stadium. With the tie, the Engineers are now 1-1-2 on the year, while the Red Dragons move to 1-2-1.
Cortland scored exactly one minute into the game, when sophomore Simone Neivel (Syracuse, NY / Westhill) netted her team-leading third goal of the year from just outside the six-yard area. Classmate Kayla Valerioti (Oakedale, NY / Connetquot) sent a long throw in from the right that bounced three times before find Neivel at the back post for the goal.
Play was even throughout most of the opening half, with RPI taking a 5-4 shot advantage to the halftime break.
The Engineers drew even in the 48th minute, thanks to a driving run up the left side by Wisnom (Hillsborough, CA / Design Tech.). Dribbles all the way into the penalty box, Wisnom rifled a low shot into the right corner of the net for her team-leading second goal of the season.
Freshman goalkeeper
Sierra Skelding (Cary, NC / Panther Creek) came up big down throughout the second half and both overtime periods, making a handful of saves to keep the game level.
In the 55th minute, she got a hand to a hard shot from Cortland senior Jaden Galluzzo (Commack, NY / Commack). She then denied freshman Katie Cosenza (East Setauket, NY / Ward Melville) in the 77th minute, tipping the ball wide of the left post.
After neither team mustered a shot on goal in the first 10 minutes of overtime, Skelding was once again tested, stopping three shots in the second OT period.
RPI nearly won the game in the dying moments, but the horn sounded with the ball bounding through the Red Dragons' penalty area.
Skelding (1-1-2) finished with eight saves, while Cortland starter Kiersten Becker (Guilderland, NY / Guilderland) had five stops.
RPI is back in action on Wednesday, when it travels to Mount Saint Mary for a 7pm kick-off. The Red Dragons host Misericordia on Wednesday (4pm).
