The Allegheny women’s soccer team took home their fourth win of the season on Monday, Oct. 4, in a 2-1 overtime finish against Geneva College. The win brings the Gators to 4-7 on the season while their opponent will fall to 2-8.

The matchup was extremely tight throughout the game as neither team allowed a goal through the first 45 minutes of play. Geneva took an early advantage however with 11 shots to the Gators’ eight in the first half, with this attacking mindset being rewarded with a goal halfway through the second half.

This would be the only goal that the Gators would give up in the win as the offense and defense took the field with a different energy in the second half. The team took 15 shots and was able to tie the game up in the 90th minute with the first goal of the season from captain Emily Orr, ’22, sending the Gators to overtime.

After the last minute regulation goal, the Gators did not take long to find the back of the net again as Sasha Rosa, ’23, scored from five yards out to give the team their second goal and overtime win of the season.

First-Year Head Coach Lacey Phillips was happy with her team’s ability to remain focused throughout the long game and capture the win.

“It feels really prideful for our girls because we have been really working toward a consistent effort for a full 90 minutes,” Phillips said. “And tonight the whole lineup played and we were able to pull in the same direction to pull out an overtime win.”

Orr was also excited with the toughness of her teammates, especially after a slow 30 minutes on the offensive side of the ball.

“It was a momentum pick up, we all knew what we needed to do and we started executing on the small things,” Orr said. “It wasn’t a lack of work ethic or anything, we all really focused in and that’s why we were able to put more shots on net.”

This Gators win was also the first for goalkeeper Chloe MacLaren, ’25, who got her first collegiate start between the goalposts. After giving up one second half goal, the first-year goalkeeper rallied to make five saves and help clinch the win for Allegheny.

MacLaren commented on the support of her team as the biggest factor in her solid second half performance.

“My team has always been really supportive of me no matter the outcome or if I let a goal in,” MacLaren said. “So knowing that they had my back, I was easily able to get up and fight for it again.”

Furthermore, the Allegheny defense looked sharp, only allowing their opponent six shots on goal through the 96 minute game. As a younger team that had graduated seven seniors last year, Phillips relies on her defense as one of the most experienced position groups on her team.

Abby Waryanka, ’23, who has started every game on defense for the team this season, remarked on the chemistry of the back line contributing to their success on the field.

“The defense has played together throughout the season and every game we just seem to get better,” Waryanka said. “I think we trust each other and know how each other plays so we know how to cover.”

Coming off of this win, the team will travel to Greensburg, PA for their last non-conference matchup of the season against the University of Pittsburgh-Greensburg. As the team looks forward to their stretch of six conference games to end the season, they also hope to improve their conference record in order to make a push at the NCAC conference playoffs.

Although the Gators lost their first two NCAC matchups, the team hopes to build off of their recent success against non-conference opponents. Coach Phillips and the team are also excited with how far they have come as a team this fall and where they will continue to go in the future.

“Being a new team and having some growing pains, the focus is gradual improvement and we have been making that,” Phillips said. “So I’m really proud to coach this group of girls, and we’ve just got to continue working together and believing in each other and success will follow.”

After their game at Pitt-Greensburg on Oct. 9, the Gators will return home which will start a two game homestand for Allegheny. Gator fans who want to see this team in NCAC conference action can do so next week on Tuesday, Oct. 12 at 7 p.m. where Allegheny will take on the Oberlin College Yeowomen on the Blue Turf at Robertson Athletic Complex.

Adam Cohen contributed to this report.