Box Score St. John Fisher 4, Utica 3 - Final

Utica, NY (10/6/12) - The visiting St. John Fisher College women's soccer team scored four unanswered goals in the second half on its way to a 4-3 victory over Utica College in a key Empire 8 Conference contest on the turf at Charles A. Gaetano Stadium Saturday afternoon. The Pioneers (6-5, 0-4 E8) jumped out to a 3-0 advantage early in the second half, behind two huge goals from junior Sarah Southwell (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy), but the Cardinals (5-4-3, 2-0-2 E8) scored four goals in less than a 20 minute span in the second half to earn the thrilling one goal victory. Vicki Alfieri netted the game-winner for the Cardinals in the 83rd minute to complete the come from behind victory.

After a scoreless first half of play the Pioneers started the excitement when sophomore defender Maddison Melley punched home a rebound on the door step to break the 0-0 tie.  Melley's first goal of the season came off a rebound after a long shot from freshman forward Courtney Wheeler (Ava, NY/Rome Free Academy). Less than ten minutes later Southwell knocked home her third goal of the year, after a long cross from junior Samantha Matthews (Valley Falls, NY/Tamarac).  Southwell's first of two was a one-timer on the far side.  Her second of the day was a similar goal, except this time she headed home a crossing pass from Samantha Spohler (East Durham, NY/Cairo Durham), to give the Pioneers a convincing 3-0 lead. 

The 66th minute is when the Cardinals began their charge. Vicki Alfieri scored her first of two goals at 66:35 off a free kick into the top right corner to cut the Pioneer lead to 3-1. Less than seven minutes later Fisher made it 3-2 when Val Hanson scored her third goal of the season after a free kick from Laura Burgstrom went off the crossbar and directly into the waiting foot of Hanson. 

Hanson would not stop there, knotting the score at 3-3 when she scored her second in a row, after a crossing pass to the far side from Chelsea Oberkrieser. Alfieri completed the comeback for the Cardinals when she scored her fifth of the year, off another free kick from 20 yards out, with less than seven minutes to go in the contest.

UC goalie Caitlyn Smith (Waterville, NY/Madison) stopped ten shots in net for UC before leaving the game in the 73rd minute with an injury.  Senior Marissa Hotaling (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) came on in relief of Smith and stopped five shots for the Pioneers.  Sydney DeVitto made six saves in 90 minutes of action between the pipes for the Cardinals.

Utica returns to play on Sunday when it travels to Nazareth College for an Empire 8 match-up against the Golden Flyers.  The contest is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. The Cardinals return home to take on Ithaca College on Sunday at 2:30 p.m.

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