Box Score PHILADELPHIA – A late Felician College penalty kick conversion cut a 2-0 deficit in half, but the Golden Falcons could not score in the run of play in their 2-1 Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference women's soccer loss to host Holy Family University on Saturday afternoon at Tiger Field.
Holy Family (9-4, 7-1), the third-place team in the 13-school CACC, won its fourth consecutive match. Felician, meanwhile, suffered its third straight loss, all by one goal, and fell into seventh place. The top eight teams at season's end will qualify for the CACC playoffs; Felician has two league games remaining.
After Felician (5-7, 5-5) came up empty on three corner kick opportunities in the early going, the Tigers were able to get on the scoreboard in the 14th minute. Senior Jenna Richards (Croydon, Pa.) led HFU on a counterattack and played a ball ahead to teammate Nicole Wright (Cinnaminson, N.J.), who chipped a shot over the head of Felician junior goalkeeper Bjonda Ademi (Wayne, N.J.) and under the crossbar.
Holy Family was able to carry the 1-0 edge into halftime. Felician actually out-shot the Tigers, 8-5, for the period, but HFU junior keeper Kacie Booth (Maple Shade, N.J.) made five saves.
The hosts picked up what proved to be an important insurance goal with 10:43 gone by in the second half. A shot by Tiger freshman Stephanie Ulmer (Philadelphia, Pa.) was blocked by a Felician defender. But the ball caromed back to Ulmer, and she was able to get another ball by Ademi.
Booth and the Tiger were working on the clean sheet when an HFU defender was whistled for a handball in the penalty area with 14:31 to play in regulation. Amanda Nowak (Lyndhurst, N.J.) scored on the ensuing kick. But Booth made a diving save on a Carly Brantner (Shrewsbury, N.J.) offering in the 90th minute, and HFU successfully defended the ensuing corner kick to preserve the victory.
Booth finished with seven saves on the day, while Ademi was credited with six. Holy Family out-shot the Golden Falcons, 12-5, in the second half to end the afternoon with a 17-15 edge. Nowak topped all players with four attempts, however. Felician held a 6-4 advantage in corner kicks.
