Rey, Spitaleri fuel second-half comeback at Sacred Heart

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – For the third time this season, the Bryant University women's soccer team rebounded from a 1-0 halftime deficit to win a game and opened the Northeast Conference season with a win in Fairfield

Game Information

Bryant 2, Sacred Heart 1

Records: Bryant 5-4-0 (1-0-0 NEC), Sacred Heart (1-9-0, 0-1-0)

Location: Park Ave. Field | Fairfield, Conn.

Coach Biggs' Comments

"Our team showed a lot of grit again today to come from behind to win 2-1. After a solid start, going a goal down shook our confidence for a stretch. But all of the credit to the team. I thought we recovered well and played an excellent second half. We defended aggressively and attacked with real confidence to turn the momentum in our favor and create the chances we needed to score." 

Key Moment

After winning the ball in the midfield, sophomore Amanda Spitaleri (Ronkonkoma, N.Y.) combined on a 1-2 with classmate Arin Smalls (Marlborough, Mass.) to free up the Long Island native in the top corner of the box. Her shot curled high over the keeper and into the top left of the net to give Bryant the lead for good.

Scoring Summary

• 12^th minute – Sacred Heart 1, Bryant 0 – Melanie DaSilva got a slight touch on a rolling free kick from Alex Mesropyan and it sent sophomore Meghan Dalton (West Hartford, Conn.) the wrong way to give the Pioneers the early lead.
• 66^th minute – Bryant 1, Sacred Heart 1 – Freshman Corinne Rey (Norton, Mass.) added her second goal of the season with a little bit of luck, as her bouncing shot was headed wide before the keeper tried to play it and it went off the bottom of her foot and rolled over the line.
• 76^th minute – Bryant 2, Sacred Heart 1 – Spitaleri won the ball just outside the Sacred Heart box as the pressure did not stop after the Bulldogs' initial goal. She found Smalls, who tapped it back to her. After a touch into the box, the sophomore struck it well and it curled high over the keeper and into the top left corner.

Stats/Notes

• This is the third second-half comeback of the season.
• For both Rey and Spitaleri, it was their second goal of the season. It is the fourth of Spitaleri's career.
• The Long Islander has scored back-to-back game-winners for the Bulldogs, as she scored a 12^th-minute winner against Vermont on Sunday.
• 20 shots for the Bulldogs is the highest total of the season, and the most since their NEC semifinal a season ago against Fairleigh Dickinson.
• Rey led the Black and Gold with four shots in the match. Two of them went on frame.
• After being outshot in the first 45 minutes 15-4, the Bulldogs mustered 16 second-half shots, holding Sacred Heart to seven.
• Along with Spitaleri and Rey each providing two, senior Katie Nugent (Newton, Mass.), sophomore Kristen Bortolotti (Foxborough, Mass.) and freshman Chae Diani (Milton, Mass.) all put shots on frame.

Up Next

Bryant concludes their six-game road swing on Friday, when they head to Staten Island to play Wagner.