Penalty Comeback Scores Winning Goal

It was a scorcher at the Bethpage Federal Credit Union Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 15 as the Pioneers played against the Adelphi University Panthers for the first time this season.

It was a slow game in both the first and second halves, with the score static at 0-0. It wasn’t until the end of the 67th minute when a sharp pass by senior forward, Emily Miller connected to sophomore midfielder Sammy Bell, to put the Pioneers on top 1-0 with less than three minutes left in regulation.

Prior to the combined effort by Bell and Miller, Miller had drawn a penalty for body contact earlier in the half.

“The penalty affected me slightly; I was more heated than anything because it wasn’t a call I agreed with, but I knew that when I got back in the game we had to step it up with the few minutes that were left,” Miller said.

While it seemed like the Pioneers had sealed the deal by the late goal, the Panthers were given a break by scoring on a penalty shot with over one minute left in regulation.

As the clock dwindled down, there was a brief intermission before overtime, which gave the Pioneers a minute to put together a strategy.

“Before overtime, we all got together and talked about the heart and passion we have. We usually play well in overtime, so we wanted to make sure everyone was composed and confident going into it,” Miller commented.

Overtime ended as quickly as it began as Miller scored the game-winning goal just 58 seconds into the period, assisted by freshman forward, Emma Braeckmans to give the Pioneers the win.

The Pioneer’s next game is Sunday, Sept. 23 at 11 a.m. at Bethpage Federal Credit Union Stadium against Saint Anselm College