Box Score JERSEY CITY, N.J. – Niagara scored the decisive goal in the 103rd minute off a direct corner kick to down Saint Peter's 2-1 in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) women's soccer action on Saturday.
Emily Fenice (Deer Park, N.Y./Deer Park) notched her first goal of the season for the Peacocks (2-9-0, 0-5-0 MAAC) in the first half while Molly O'Halloran (Colonia, N.J./Union Catholic Regional) made one save in the loss.
Maureen Papaconstantinou found the back of the net on a direct shot on a corner kick to lift the Purple Eagles (4-9-0, 3-2-0 MAAC) to the golden-goal win. Shawnique Samuels also scored while Claire Feiertag turned away two shots in the winning effort.
Niagara played the final 38 minutes and 31 seconds without its top scorer after she received a red card in the 65th minute, but the Purple Eagles were able to come away with the victory in extra time.
Fenice battled a Niagara defender for the ball near the end line and was able to wrestle the ball away and then had a 1-on-1 with Feiertag and nailed the ball into the high right netting from the left at the 33:49 for Saint Peter's first tally in conference play and a 1-0 advantage.
Samuels then found the back of the netting at the 42:56 to even the score at 1 going into halftime.
The Peacocks outshot the Purple Eagles 5-4 in the second half and also had the only two shots on goal in the stanza. Maggie Neiswanger (Holyoke, Mass./South Windsor) nearly put Saint Peter's back on top in the 57th minute. The senior drilled a high shot from 25-yards out that Feiertag had to push the ball off the cross bar to preserve the standstill.
The Peacocks also had a pair of shots in the final five minutes of regulation after Fenice missed wide in the 86th minute and Neiswanger gave the squad its final scoring threat in the period, but Feiertag turned her shot away in final minute. Niagara's last scoring chance in regulation came in the 79th minute after Haillie Price missed high.
Neither team had a shot in the first overtime, but the Purple Eagles nearly won the match in the first extra session, but the score was pulled back due to an offsides call. Saint Peter's had a similar call against them in the first half.
In the second overtime, Price had a shot blocked by the Peacocks' defense in the 102nd minute off a Papaconstantinou corner kick that set up Papaconstaninou's decisive tally 16 seconds later.
Fenice came into the season with 11 career goals, but found the back of the net for the first time in 2013 on Saturday. The senior ranks ninth in program history with her 12 tallies and also cracked the Top-10 after her goal in points.
The Peacocks return to action on Wednesday at Rider. Game time is 7:30 p.m.
