St. DAVIDS, Pa./RADNOR, Pa.– The Eastern/ Cabrini rivalry took a new turn today as the two neighboring schools played one half on either side of Eagle Road. Eastern led 1-0 when, because of the heat on Olson Field, the two teams walked across the street to finish the game on Cabrini's Dixon Field. The Eagles scored twice more to claim a 3-1 win and run their unbeaten streak in the battle between the two schools to 15 games.
How it Happened:
Nicole Weenink put pressure on the Cavaliers from start. The junior forward forced a pair of corner kicks in the opening eight minutes.
Zoe Galvin bent the second corner toward the back post and Weenink powered past her mark to nod home her first of the game.
Heat Delays:
Even with a pair of water breaks and both teams subbing liberally, game officials felt the heat presented a danger and the half extended while the officials on the field consulted with training staffs and the NCAA to weigh options. After 45 minutes or so, the decision was made to move the game across the street to Dixon Field on Cabrini's campus. Dixon Field sits in heavy shade for most of the afternoon and was considerably cooler when the games started nearly an hour after the previous half ended.
Strong Second Start:
Less than three minutes into the second half,
Lydia Moody saw space behind the Cabrini back row and put a ball over the top for
Amy Radcliffe. The junior forward reached the ball outside the box as the Cabrini goalkeeper arrived. Radcliffe pressed through the tackle and tapped home her fourth career tally.
An Answer for the Answer:
Cabrini cut the Eastern lead to 2-1 on a high shot from a tight angle in the 52nd minute, but Eagles responded with another tally from Weenink.
Alyssa Simpkins served the ball into space, and the Cabrini back row paused in thinking that the Eagles had players offside. Those players made no attempt to play the ball and Weenink came from a late position and pushed home her eighth career goal.
The Stats
Both teams fired eight shots, but the Cavaliers only put four on target.
Adrianna Rowlands made a pair of saves to pick up the win.
Coach West Says:
"Today was an interesting game. There were a lot of things out of our control like the heat, switching venues, and having a delay but I thought our girls handled it well."
"I felt we created more chances and limited theirs. Nicole and Amy were dangerous all afternoon and our miidfield did a good job on both sides of the ball. They dictated the flow of the game and stopped counters from building up."
" Carli Sitkowski was a rock in the back and distributed well. We had a spark off the bench and our players delivered quality minutes. We have two days to prepare for Goucher. We are excited for the chance to get better and continue to grow as a group."
Up Next:
The Eagles will host Goucher College at 3:00 pm on Saturday. It will be the second game of a doubleheader with the men's team. The Gophers beat the Eagles 3-2 last fall in the only matchup between the two programs.
Not the First:
While it is the first time that a soccer game has been played on both sides of Eagle Road, it is not the first test between the two schools to change venues in the middle. In at least one instance a men's tennis match at Eastern has concluded under the lights at Cabrini.
