Cardinals season ends with 2-1 loss at Moravian

BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The CUA women’s soccer team saw its 2010 season come to an end on Saturday as the Cardinals dropped a tough 2-1 match at Moravian.  Senior Kelly Donnelly scored the Cardinals lone goal in what was her final match in the red and black.

CUA finishes the season at 6-9 and 2-4 in the Landmark Conference on a day in which the Cardinals had chances, but could not get the tying goal.  “This is a hard result to swallow,” CUA head coach J.P. Sousa said following the match.  “We certainly didn’t plan for this; but unfortunately it just didn’t happen for us the way we would have wanted.”

Sousa continued, “This is a talented group of girls and they went down fighting.  I’m proud of that.  2011 is going to be a different year for us and we have to keep that in mind, but right now it’s tough to do.”

CUA took 12 shots to the Greyhounds seven, including an 8-1 advantage in the final 45 minutes.  “We were in their end of the field for a good deal of the second half,” Sousa said.  “Unfortunately we were only able to get the one goal.”

The Cardinals were awarded 12 corners to Moravian’s seven and in goal for CUA Christina Cassidy stopped one shot.  Mary McGann played 2:16 in goal as well for the Cardinals as she took Cassidy’s spot momentarily after CUA’s starting keeper was shaken up on a play.  McGann actually stopped two shots in her short stint before Cassidy returned to finish the match.

CUA took the first three shots of the match, but two were saved and the other was high.  The Cardinals defense did a terrific job of limiting Moravian’s chances, however, the first Greyhounds shot went into the back of the net at the 32:54 mark.  Arielle Caldas scored it and Kim Gogel had the assist.

CUA was unable to register any more shot attempts for the remainder of the half and so the Cardinals headed to halftime trailing 1-0.

Just 50 seconds into the second Ellen Jansen looked for the equalizer for CUA, but Sarah Halpin made the save for the Greyhounds.  Down the other end Moravian’s Elleen Black was able to shake free for another Greyhounds score and with nearly 39 minutes still left to play, CUA found itself down 2-0.

The Cardinals seemed to ratchet up the intensity from that point forward as they took the next two shots, including one by Donnelly at the 73:56 mark that found the back of the net to make it a 2-1 game.  “That was a real gutsy goal by Kelly,” Sousa said.  “She never stopped battling and after we scored that goal, our sense of urgency took another step up.  It was all-out attack mode.”

Attack is right as CUA took three shots in the next four minutes, but none were able to find the back of the goal.  A shot by Lauren Cadott at the 86:34 mark was stopped, while Courtney Orgill’s attempt with 20 seconds remaining sailed high.  That wound up being the final shot of the Cardinals’ 2010 season as they fell just short of a return to the postseason.

“Kelly (Donnelly) and Amanda (Cowan) enjoyed wonderful careers for us,” Sousa explained.  “We’re going to be sad to see them go.  But we also have a good group coming back next season and we know we’re going to be successful.”