By Stephen Lapage, Contributor
The Canisius women's soccer team looked to bounce back from their loss against Quinnipiac. The Griffs turned their focus to their senior day against Iona, looking to get their fifth win of the season.
After flooding that occurred in New York City, the game that was originally scheduled for Saturday was moved to a 9 a.m. kickoff on Sunday. Canisius held a pregame ceremony to celebrate three players on their senior day: Sophie Chelini, Jessica Jones and Abby Molloy.
The game remained tied throughout most of the first half until freshman Nicki Silverman was able to shoot one past the Iona goalkeeper. The goal, Silverman’s third of the season, gave the Griffs the early lead in the first half. Both teams battled until halftime, but the game remained 1–0 in favor of Canisius.
The Griffs came out firing in the second half. After many chances to extend their lead, sophomore Skylar Cornell was able to score about 10 minutes in to give the Griffs a 2–0 lead. Both teams traded chances before junior Madeline Weltin shot one past the goalkeeper to extend the Griffs lead to 3–0. With the game seemingly put away, Iona battled to try and break Jones’s shutout, but they never capitalized. Canisius took the 3–0 victory over Iona to move to 2–1–1 against MAAC opponents, a record that slots them at fourth in the conference.
Freshman Maggie Cregan was also able to tally two assists in the contest, marking the first multiple-point game of her career. Cregan was not the only freshman to have a great match, as Silverman was able to score the game-winning goal and tallied an assist in the contest. With the success of her recent performance, Silverman received MAAC Rookie of the Week and offensive player of the week honors.
When asked about the success of the women’s soccer team this year, Silverman says that the team has developed a different “mindset.” “A lot of the girls said they were known as being the underdog, and this year we have shown that we are not the underdog anymore,” said Silverman. “We are a team that is here to compete.”
Silverman added regarding the tight-knit relationship surrounding the team, “the team culture is very healthy and different than any team I have played on before. Everyone is there for each other and helpful towards each other while pushing everyone,” she concluded.
The Golden Griffins head on the road to play Fairfield at noon on Oct. 7, looking to continue their dominance in conference play. A win this weekend would mark the first time Canisius has eclipsed six or more wins for the first time since 2019.