Box Score (PDF)
Riverdale, NY - Manhattan battled Fairfield to a 1-1 draw in the MAAC opener for each team at Gaelic Park in an intense and physical contest.
Trailing 1-0 at the break, the Jaspers quickly netted the equalizer in the 56th minute. Junior
Tia Painilainen (Espoo, Finland / Arizona) delivered a ball from the right side through the legs of a Stag defender to sophomore
Lindsey Healy (Sussex, NJ / Pope John XXIII Regional), who quickly found a streaking
Gemma Perez (Park Ridge, NJ / Paramus Catholic). The sophomore forward quickly gathered the ball and blasted it on the run past the keeper from 10 yards out.
In the 61st minute, Manhattan appeared poised to take the lead as Healy and sophomore
Bri DeLeo (Harriman, NY / Monroe-Woodbury) fired point-blank shots that Aytana Muschajew was able to deflect.
Later in the half, sophomore
Shelby Jones (Greenville, NC / Junius H. Rose) delivered a shot in the 83rd minute at a vacant net that the Stag defense to get to before Healy was turned away in the 87th minute. Despite misfiring on those opportunities, Manhattan had one final attempt but was whistled for being offsides with 11 seconds remaining.
In the overtime, senior
Kelly DiGregorio (Centereach, NY / St. Anthony's) made a pair of saves before the Jasper offense delivered their best scoring threats in the second overtime stanza, as senior
Nicole Copping (Blue Point, NY / Bayport-Blue Point) had two balls that went wide before Painilainen also missed wide.
Fairfield dominated play in the first half, outshooting Manhattan 11-4, including 5-0 on goal, with Alex Madden scoring her MAAC-leading seventh goal off a Gabby Diodati corner kick in the 42nd minute.
Manhattan is now 1-3-2 with Fairfield moving to 5-2-1.
COACH LAWLER
NOTES
* The Jaspers are now 2-0-2 over the last four meetings against the Stags after going 2-22-3 in the first 27.
* Manhattan remains unbeaten in its last seven MAAC home games (5-0-2).
* Perez's goal is her first of the year and the third of her career
* Healy notched her second career assist and Painilainen her first.
* DiGregorio made seven saves.
* Manhattan posted advantages in shots (12-7) and shots on goal (5-1) after halftime.
* For the match, the visitors owned the upper hand in shots (18-16), shots on goal (8-5) and corner kicks (12-2).
* Sophomore
Sydney Harwood (Monroe, NY / Monroe-Woodbury) made her first appearance of the season as the Jaspers registered their fifth different starting line-up.
* Four of Manhattan's five goals on the year have come after halftime.
* This marks the second-straight home game to end in a 1-1 draw.
* Muschajew made three saves in goal for Fairfield.
UP NEXT
* The Jaspers will head to Buffalo to square off with Canisius on Saturday, September 22 at 1:00 pm.
