BRISTOL, R.I. — The Roger Williams University women's soccer team erupted for four second-half goals Saturday afternoon, rallying from an early deficit to defeat Western New England University, 4-1, at Bayside Field. The Hawks improved to 3-0-4 overall and 2-0-0 in Conference of New England play, remaining unbeaten through their first seven matches of the season.
Costa Completes Hat Trick in Second Half
After a scoreless opening half, Western New England struck first just 6:05 into the second half when Ava dos Santos scored off an assist from Meghan Hartnett to put the Golden Bears ahead, 1-0.
Roger Williams answered almost immediately.
Just 1:13 later, Leah Costa (Woodstock, Conn.) found the back of the net off an assist from Madelyn Riebold (Deep River, Conn.), leveling the match at 1-1 in the 53rd minute.
Costa continued her offensive surge in the 65th minute, converting a penalty kick to give the Hawks their first lead of the afternoon.
Less than two minutes later, Costa completed her hat trick, scoring in the 67th minute off an assist from Mya D'Antonio (Marshfield, Mass.) to extend the Hawks' advantage to 3-1.
Hawks Control the Attack
Roger Williams controlled much of the action throughout the afternoon, finishing with a commanding 22-9 advantage in shots and putting 12 attempts on target compared to five for Western New England.
The Hawks generated 13 shots in the opening half alone, repeatedly testing WNE goalkeeper Ainsley Napolitano. Riebold nearly opened the scoring in the 11th minute when her shot struck the post, while D'Antonio, Camryn Dickinson (Quaker Hill, Conn.), Beth Yucius (Duxbury, Mass.) and Kaitlyn Alagno (Oxford, Conn.) each created opportunities that forced saves.
Roger Williams continued to apply pressure after halftime, earning three second-half corner kicks and consistently keeping the Golden Bears on their heels.
Boenig Anchors Hawks' Defense
While Costa and the Hawks' attack provided the offensive firepower, Ava Boenig (Norwich, Conn.) delivered another strong performance in goal.
Boenig made four saves on five Western New England shots on target, helping the Hawks withstand the Golden Bears' early second-half pressure and preserve their advantage after taking the lead.
The RWU defense held WNE without a goal for the final 38-plus minutes, allowing the Hawks to close out the 4-1 conference victory.
Alagno Adds Insurance
Roger Williams added one final goal in the 85th minute when Kaitlyn Alagno (Oxford, Conn.) found the back of the net off an assist from Sadie Scalzitti (Carmel, N.Y.).
The goal capped a four-goal second half for the Hawks, who turned a 1-0 deficit into a convincing 4-1 CNE victory.
Costa finished the afternoon with three goals on three shots, while Riebold added an assist and four shots. D'Antonio contributed two shots and an assist, while Alagno recorded two shots, including her insurance goal.
WHAT'S NEXT?
Roger Williams hits the road Tuesday, Sept. 22, traveling to North Dartmouth, Mass., to take on UMass Dartmouth at 6 p.m.
