The RPI women’s soccer team had two games remaining on their schedule before the year came to an end. In a test of character, the girls once again stepped up to the challenge as they fought hard and left with a sense of hope for the coming years.
On Tuesday, October 25, the Red Hawks were away to take on the University of Rochester on their home turf. A four hour road trip on a cold, rainy day spelled trouble for RPI, as they came out sluggish and stumbled out of the gates.
The first half was marred by the appearance that the team did not want to play on such a horrible day. As a result, the Yellow Jackets, ranked 16th in the country with a 11-1-2 record, jumped out to an early lead, scoring two first-half goals.
At the 24:48 mark, Maureen Dudiak nailed a shot from 12 yards out, near the top of the box, tallying the first points of the game. The assist was credited to Ashley Weagraff.
Roughly 14 minutes later, Rochester was at it again as Angela Heaney scored off a pass from Kristen Leakow from four yards out, netting the shot in the right side of the goal.
The score would remain 2-0, and heading into the half RPI found themselves in a difficult position—hard for any team to come back from.
Head Coach Eric Miller addressed his team’s lack of enthusiasm to compete, telling the girls that it appeared as if they did not want to be there.
The team responded to his motivational efforts and rallied their energy for the remainder of the game.
Though Rochester would add one more goal, the Red Hawks refused to die. It would have been easy for them to quit, but RPI competed right up until the bitter end. Miller added, “I told them how proud I was of them, and it was nice to see that team, the one with fire and heart, that showed up in the second half.”
Three days later, the girls were back at home for their season finale against St. Lawrence. Anticipating and needing a good game, the Red Hawks came out on all cylinders and were on top from the get go.
The lone goal of the game was scored by Kerry Reilly at the 35:57 mark. Off a beautiful cross from Rebecca Primm, Reilly headed the ball past the goalie to put the first points of the game on the scoreboard. The one goal, paired with sound defense, was enough to give RPI the victory. The second half was a scoreless battle in which the Red Hawks out-shot the Saints 5-1 and held on for the win.
“We knew we weren’t going to the conference tournament or the playoffs, so it was really impressive to see the team push themselves for the win,” said Miller of his team’s performance.
With the win, the Red Hawks record ends up at 4-10-1 overall, and 3-4 in conference play.
Finishing off the season with a bang gives the team a feeling of pride and respect. As the team looks ahead to next year, they will carry momentum and a positive attitude along with them. A year of experience and learning paired with incoming recruits will undoubtedly position RPI for a successful season in year two of the Eric Miller era.
