Senior Adele Godfrey-Certner scored a goal and assisted on another as the Rensselaer Red Hawks women’s soccer team finished their season on a positive note, beating the New Paltz Hawks 3-2.
In the first half, both teams got off to a slow start as neither team was able to put a decent attack together. That changed in the 35th minute, when RPI worked the ball deep into the New Paltz zone, and earned their only corner kick of the half. The Red Hawks took advantage as freshman Sarah Briggs recorded her first collegiate goal directly off the kick, to put RPI up 1-0.
Eight minutes later, freshman Ann Cosgrove doubled the lead for the Red Hawks, taking a pass from Godfrey-Certner and firing a shot that beat Hawk goaltender Maggie Fenton. The goal was also Cosgrove’s first collegiate goal.
New Paltz responded right away. Less than a minute and a half later, Lauren Martel took a shot that beat junior Jackie Gabrielle to cut the RPI lead to 2-1 going into halftime.
The second half was dominated by the Red Hawks, who out shot the Hawks 11-3. However, New Paltz struck first off the foot of Kerri Kelty, just 12 minutes into the half tying the score at two.
Godfrey-Certner was the hero for RPI when she took a pass from fellow senior Lizzie Vitaliano and found the back of the net in the 75th minute. The defense held the lead and the Red Hawks walked away with their second win of the season.
Fenton finished with seven saves for the 6-9-3 Hawks while Gabrielle recorded three saves for RPI, who finished the season 2-11-1.
For six ladies, this was their final game in Rensselaer red and white. Forward Anne Drames led the team this year in goals with four and shots-on-goal with 12. Vitaliano led the team in assists with three.
Gofrey-Certner finished third on the team in goals with two and was tied with defender Jessica Chetuck for second on the team in assists with two. Liz Grammer, who was an integral part of the RPI defense, usually playing in the sweeper role, also recorded an assist. Goaltender Regina Primm saw action in eight games this season, allowing 14 goals and making 44 saves. She also recorded the only shutout on the season.
