Women's Soccer Falls in 2023 Season Opener to Hartford Friday

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – The University of Saint Joseph (USJ) women's soccer team fell in its 2023 season opener to neighboring opponent University of Hartford, 9-0, Friday afternoon at the USJ Soccer Field in West Hartford, Conn. With the result, the Blue Jays begin the season 0-1-0 while the Hawks, who were ranked second nationally in the first Massey Ratings of the season, start the year 1-0-0.

KEY MOMENTS

• Both teams used the early portion of the first half to settle into the contest, however Hartford dominated most of the early possession. The Hawks fired off the first six shots of the game in the opening 10-plus minutes of action before the Blue Jays recorded their first shot 12:09 into the match.
• Hartford broke through with its first of three first-half goals in the 22nd minute. Senior midfielder Christina Stone (Glastonbury, Conn.) found classmate Imani Jenkins (Middletown, Conn.) with a nice through ball and Jenkins took a touch out wide before finishing with her left foot into far side netting.
• The Hawks kept the pressure on and doubled their lead less than two minutes later. Following a USJ turnover in its own defensive end, Jenkins and graduate student midfielder Ishani Sharma (Brampton, Ontario) used some combination passing to then find freshman forward Kathleen Brush, who slid a shot past USJ's freshman goalkeeper Madison Corcoran (Bristol, Conn.) with her left foot.
• Hartford kept its foot on the gas pedal and found the back of the net for the final time in the opening period just over a minute later to record three goals over a span of 2:59. Off a throw in from senior defender May Cervone (Milford, Conn.), Jenkins was unmarked and collected the pass before rifling a shot into the back of the net for her second goal and fifth point of the match.
• The Hawks picked up right where they left off the first half to start the second half and registered their fourth goal of the contest just 40 seconds into the final stanza. After a failed USJ clearing attempt, graduate student midfielder Victoria Jedroychowski (Farmington, Conn.) laid a pass back to Sharma at the top of the 18-yard box and she arched a shot over the outstretched arms of Corcoran.
• Hartford would go on to add five more tallies over the final 44 minutes of action without surrendering a goal to claim the 9-0 shutout victory.

NOTES

• Hartford outshot the Blue Jays overall, 36-2, and held a sizeable advantage in shots on goal, 20-2.
• Senior midfielder Marisa Brough (Cheshire, Conn.) and sophomore forward Alana Picard (Windsor Locks, Conn.) registered the pair of shots on goal for USJ.
• The Hawks claimed a 9-1 edge in corner kick opportunities.
• Corcoran made 10 saves in her collegiate debut between the pipes for the Blue Jays.
• Sophomore goalkeepers Sejal Johnson (Weddington, N.C.) and Mira Mahmound (Storrs, Conn.) shared time in goal for the Hawks. Johnson got the start and earned the win (1-0-0), making one save in 67:24 of action. Mahmound played the final 22:36 and made one stop.

UP NEXT

Women's soccer returns back to the pitch next on Tuesday, September 5, welcoming intrastate and conference rival Albertus Magnus College to the USJ Soccer Field for both teams' 2023 GNAC opener. Kickoff between the Blue Jays and Falcons is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. in West Hartford.

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