WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. - In its 2014 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference opener, the Monmouth University women's soccer team rallied with a pair of second half goals to defeat Siena College 2-1 on Wednesday night on Hesse Field on The Great Lawn.

 

Monmouth, which fell behind in the fifth minute of the match, knotted the score in the 74th minute on freshman forward Rachelle Ross' (Mount Laurel, N.J./Lenape) team-leading fifth tally of the year, while junior midfielder Brianne Boyle (Hazlet, N.J./Hazlet) fired home the game-winner in the 87th minute to complete the comeback victory.

 

"It was an exciting way to start the MAAC," stated head coach Krissy Turner. "To control so much of the game but yet not able to get the equalizer can lead to frustration. However, we continued to put pressure on their defense to create numerous chances from many different players."

 

The Hawks, now 6-3-0 overall, improve to 1-0 in league play, and have now gone unbeaten in their first 11 matches since joining the conference last year.

 

Siena took an early 1-0 lead when Tara Sobierajski's corner kick service found Kristen Connors near the top of the box, and was directed on the ground just inside the far post just 4:12 into the match.

 

Monmouth, which outshot the Saints 7-1 in the first half and 16-3 in the second stanza, broke through in the 74th minute when sophomore forward Alexis McTamney (Bordentown, N.J./Bordentown Regional) played a square ball to a streaking Ross for the equalizer, McTamney's team-best third assist of the season.

 

The Blue & White capped the comeback in the 87th minute when freshman back Miranda Konstantinides (Voorhees, N.J./Eastern Regional) found Boyle, who turned and rifled a shot from 30 yards out off the right post and into the netting for the midfielder's third career game-winning score. The marker was Boyle's first of the season and fifth of her career, while Konstantinides registered her first career point.

 

"The goals tonight were certainly tremendous individual plays, but the way we moved the ball in the second half allowed for those chances," added Turner. "Credit to Brianne and Rachelle for each finishing great shots."

 

For the match, Monmouth outshot Siena 23-4, forcing Saints' senior goalkeeper Taylor Booth to make 10 saves, including eight in the second half alone. Graduate student netminder Nicole D'Agostino (Clarendon Hills, Ill./Hinsdale Central/Pitt) made two stops for the Hawks to earn her fifth win of the year.

 

Monmouth also held a 6-2 edge in corner kick opportunities.

 

Monmouth returns to action on Saturday, September 27 when the Hawks travel to Canisius College for a MAAC match with the Golden Griffins at the Demske Sports Complex at 11:00 a.m.

 

@MUWSoccer -- #FlyHawks