Bobcats Falter Late Against Moose at Home

Paul Smiths, NY ~ The Paul Smith's College women's soccer team looked like they were going to secure an important three points in Yankee Small College Conference (YSCC) play on Saturday, but late-game mistakes proved costly as the visitors from the University of Maine at Augusta clawed back to force a 2-2 tie.

The first half between the Bobcats and the Moose ended in a scoreless stalemate as both teams had chances on net.  PSC goalkeeper Peyton Hoffman (Ilion, NY) and UMA goalkeeper Abigail Hynes stopped five and seven saves, respectively, in the first 45' with no team gaining the advantage before the break.

The stalemate wouldn't last long after intermission as Matti Swan would go on to score her seventh and eighth goals of the campaign in the 56th and 66th minutes to give the hosts a comfortable 2-0 lead.  

On Swan's first goal, Lilyanna Barnes (Otego, NY) sent a ball through the box to the 6-yard-line that was pounced on by the senior striker from Schenectady.  A sliding play to beat the keeper to the ball and just enough juice from Swan to get it over the line made it 1-0 Bobcats.

Her second goal was more deliberate as Barnes dispossessed the Moose midfield and found Pailin Hample (Long Lake, NY) who then put a perfect through ball to the 18 which gave Swan an easy breakaway.  She collected the ball, looked up to notice the goalie cheating to her near post, and slotted it on the ground about a yard inside the far post to make it 2-0.

But a two goal lead is the most dangerous lead in soccer, and the soccer Gods would have their day on the pitch.

With less than 10 minutes remaining, the Moose shifted their structure and began to press numbers forward, with Bubbles Madlokazi providing the spark that the visitors needed.  In the 84th minute, Aurelia Maietta picked up a loose ball in the box and beat four Bobcats to a second-chance ball after the initial save from Hoffman.

Then, just over three minutes later, disaster struck again as Maietta took advantage of a loose midfield and drilled a shot past the hands of Hoffman to tie it at 2-2.

The Bobcats almost salvaged the day with just over a minute remaining when Sydney Lemay (Georgia, VT) broke free on the left side with just the keeper in front of her.  Her shot beat Hynes but then rattled off the crossbar as the crowd deflated and both teams walked away with a tie.  PSC moves to 3-5-2 overall and 2-3-1 in the YSCC.

You can follow the women's soccer team on Instagram at @paulsmiths_wsoccer or follow the general athletics account at @smitty_nation for scores, highlights, pictures, and much more!

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At Paul Smith's College, it's about the experience. As the only four-year institution of higher education located in the Adirondack Park in upstate New York, Paul Smith's provides real-world, hands-on learning in fields such as business and hospitality, culinary management, forestry, environmental sciences, and natural resources. We can draw on industries and resources available in our backyard while preparing students for successful careers anywhere. Our community of resourceful, enterprising, supportive, and adventurous individuals collectively provides experiential education, student support in the classroom and beyond, and meaningful opportunities for our alumni. We pride ourselves on research and advocacy on issues that improve our planet and the lives of the people who inhabit it. Learn more at www.paulsmiths.edu.