Box Score 9-13-21
 
CLARK, NJ – The Lackawanna College Women's Soccer team fell to the nationally ranked Union County College Owls, 3-1, in their season opener on Monday night.
 
The Owls (2-1), ranked #9 in the latest NJCAA Women's Soccer polls, completed the comeback after falling behind just four minutes into the game, thanks to an Ashley Bruno right-footed shot to the lower right corner. Bruno, last year's leading scorer for the Falcons (0-1), was played through on a gorgeous through-ball from midfielder Rachel Apsley, who began the play after dispossessing an Owls' player in the Lackawanna College defensive zone.
 
The lead would be short-lived, as the Owl pressure started to mount. If not for some massive Sophia Andreoli saves, the equalizer may have come sooner. Eventually, the constant pressure from the Owls forwards got to the Falcons, and Union County tied the game at 1-1 in the 19^th minute.
 
From there, the Falcons played primarily defense for the next 26 minutes, with frenetic defending at the back and solid keeping from Andreoli. Despite a few shots rattling the frame of the goal, the Falcons escaped into the half on level scoring.
 
That would change early in the second, as more pressure on the Falcon goal resulted in a shot that may have taken a deflection off a Lackawanna College defender before sputtering into the goal. Either way, it was the breakthrough Union sought and gave them the 2-1 advantage in the 55^th minute. The Owls would tack one more on in the 86^th to round out the scoring.
 
The Falcons did not generate much offense outside of the Bruno goal, but did get one more 1-v-1 opportunity in the dying moments of the game that could have made it a one-goal margin. Ashley Bruno once again bore down on the Owl defense. But, after a second cross-over dribble to lose the defender, the Union County keeper closed the gap and Bruno's angle, forcing a save and deflection out of play.
 
The Owls outshot Lackawanna College 15-to-3, and had seven corner kicks to the Falcons' two. Sophia Andreoli was tremendous in net, making eleven saves. Jada Tha picked up the game's only caution early in the 2^nd half, but otherwise played a solid game at central defense. Apsley captained the midfield and managed some possession despite the pressure from Union, including her nifty pass from the midfield stripe that sprung Ashley Bruno past the high-line of the Owls.
 
Lackawanna College is back in action on Saturday September 18^th, when the travel to Howard Community College in Columbia, MD for the Dragon Classic. The Falcons will be playing Cape Fear CC at 11:00am ET on Saturday, and then the hosts on Sunday at 1:00pm ET. Check back to lackawannafalcons.com for links to watch, as they come available.
 
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