Box Score

Purchase, NY (Sept. 15, 2012) – The College of Staten Island played spoiler Saturday in Purchase's home opener, taking the non-conference tilt, 3-2, in a second-half, come-from-behind victory. 

Women's soccer played four games on the road to start the fall campaign, losing three of their first four against heavy, non-conference competition coming into Saturday's affair. The challenging schedule continued in the team's home opener, as the Panthers welcomed CUNY rival CSI to Purchase. Although the schedule appears to have hardened the young-and-upcoming Purchase squad, the Dolphins completed a dramatic comeback over the final 45 minutes, scoring three goals following intermission.

CSI's Demi-Jean Martorano provided the go-ahead, game-winning goal in the 79th minute. The breakaway score was certainly one of the heart-breaking variety. Nonetheless, Purchase played well in defeat. The Panthers, building off each contest thus far, started strong, but CSI finished stronger.

Purchase co-captain Abigail Katz (SR/Livingston, NJ) took a cross midway through the first period, scoring the game's first goal. The two defenses matched intensity through the first 25 minutes. The Panther offense rose to that intensity and simply wore down the visiting Dolphins in the opening 45 minutes. For Katz, the program's single-season goals leader, the early strike marked her fourth score in five games.

Later in the first, Nathalie Lavelanet (SO/South Salem, NY) helped the hosts grab a commanding lead. The standout second-year midfielder gave Purchase a 2-0 margin on a breakaway goal. With CSI's Victoria Donegan pulled out, Lavelanet pushed the goal past her, sending the home crowd into a frenzy on an afternoon when the Panthers also introduced live stats for those tuning in at home and on the road.

Trailing by a pair of scores, the Dolphins (4-1) threatened immediately in the second half, scoring an early goal off the foot of Melissa Gelardi to cut the deficit in half. It was the sophomore's first goal of the season for the visitors.

But the Purchase defense, led by co-captain Amanda Maertz (SO/Holbrook, NY) and rookie keeper Kristy Colangelo (FR/Staten Island, NY), maintained the lead for a portion of the second half. Colangelo made a brilliant pair of stops about 16 minutes into the second and then 20 minutes in – preventing Samantha Wysokowski in both attempts – that preserved the margin momentarily.

But Wysokowski finally broke through and scored the equalizer in the 75th minute. Gelardi assisted on the goal. Fueled by the momentum, CSI carried out the win on Martorano's goal in the final minutes.

Purchase battled valiantly, firing seven shots in the second half, including one at the buzzer by rookie Marykate McGee (FR/East Rockaway, NY) that missed sending the game into OT.

Like the final score, the visitors narrowly outshot Purchase, 15-13.   

The Panthers (1-4) return to action Wednesday at NYU-POLY in their Skyline Conference opener.