Powers' Game-Winning Goal Lifts Women's Soccer Past FDU, 2-1, In NEC Home Opener

A goal by Central Connecticut's Riley Powers off a beautiful through pass from Emma Radoncic with just under three minutes to play in the match lifted the Blue Devils to a comeback 2-1 win over the visiting FDU Knights.  The win, which comes in CCSU's Northeast Conference home opener, is the squad's first triumph of the season.  The Blue Devils are now 1-1-0 in conference play; while FDU falls to 2-1-0 in the NEC.

GAME INFORMATION | BOX SCORE

Score:   CCSU 2, FDU 1
Records: CCSU (1-7-1, 1-1-0 NEC), FDU (2-4-5, 2-1-0 NEC)
Location: CCSU Soccer Field | New Britain, CT

KEY MOMENTS

• CCSU had the match's first corner just 3:16 into the match, and the Blue Devils' Emma Radoncic fired the first shot on goal of the contest following a scramble off said corner.
• FDU's Ana Salas picked off an errant CCSU pass and launched a shot over the crossbar in the ninth minute.
• Aoife Horgan had a fine scoring chance for the hosts in the 24th minute, but her scorching low shot was turned away by FDU keeper Rosemarie Leblanc.
• Riley Powers had a another golden chance for CSSU off another corner with under 40 seconds to go in the opening stanza that was again snuffed out by Leblanc with a dive at the right post.
• The teams headed into halftime tied 0-0 and knotted in shots at 6-6.  CCSU put three shots on goal in the first half; while the visiting Knights had two on Central's Taylor DeFlorio.
• Daniela De Souza sent a shot just wide of the left post for the hosts four minutes into the second half.
• A long shot by the Knights' Leighann Kafel was saved by DeFlorio to keep the contest scoreless in the 53rd minute.
• A goal by FDU's Marina Burzaco put the Knights ahead 1-0 at the 69:49 mark, but the Blue Devils came right to tie things up at 1-1 less than two minutes later when Aoife Horgan netted her first goal of 2024 and sixteenth of her CCSU tenure off a pass from Toni Domingos.  Aofie is the reigning Northeast Conference midfielder of the Year.
• Sabrina Krause nearly gave CCSU the lead with six minutes to play when she took a feed from Horgan but just missed the top corner of the net.
• Riley Powers would then put in the game-winning goal, the first of her collegiate career, off a Radoncic assist with just under three minutes to play, when she tucked the ball into the corner of the net past the FDU keeper sending the crowd at the CSSU Soccer Field into a frenzy.

NUMBER TO KNOW

16 – Career goals scored by Aoife Horgan.

NOTES

• Central outshot FDU, 15-13 on the night, and finished with a 4-3 edge in corners.
• All of the scoring on Thursday night came in the second half.
• Taylor DeFlorio earned the win in net for CSSU making four saves.
• Emma Radoncic led the Blue devils with four shots on the evening.
• With the victory, CCSU leads the all-time series versus FDU, 18-9-1

UP NEXT

• The CCSU women's soccer team returns to the pitch this Sunday, September 29 when the Blue Devils travel to Erie, Pennsylvania for a 1:00 p.m. tilt with NEC newcomer, the Lakers of Mercyhurst University.

Follow @CCSUBlueDevils on Twitter and CCSUBlueDevils.com for updates.