Allentown, PA – The headlines may not have always been encouraging, but even the casual observer could see that Cedar Crest's second-year head coach Nicole Pietrobon had her fledgling soccer program pointed in the right direction. At home against non-conference foe Valley Forge Christian College on Thursday, Pietrobon's hard work and determination, along with a dash of youthful optimism, paid off with her first win as a college head coach.
The Falcons maintained a torrid offensive pace from the opening kick off, peppering Valley Forge goalie Amanda McGinness with over a dozen shots before Cedar Crest freshman Denyell Spingola (East Haddam, CT, Nathan Hale-Ray) made one count on a breakaway in the 23rd minute that ended with a shot over McGinness' head. Ten minutes later, fellow freshman Olga Cauble (Concord, NH, Concord) found the upper left corner of the goal from the 18.
Cedar Crest didn't score another goal, although they threw everything they had at McGinness, outshooting the Patriots 35-6 on the day. Only an impressive 26 saves by the Valley Forge freshman keeper prevented the score from becoming lopsided. Cedar Crest goalie Krysten Gillan (Maple Shade, NJ, Maple Shade) had three saves.
A product of a more mature program at DeSales University where the wins came somewhat easier, Pietrobon was relieved to achieve what she hopes is a breakthrough victory. "I'm so happy we got this win, " said Pietrobon afterward. "Not for me, but because we needed this as a team." It was at about this time last year that she experienced a reality check, she recalled, realizing that she needed to double-down and take the long view. She ratcheted up her recruiting efforts and, as this season got underway with a good mix of talented new faces and a core of seasoned upperclassmen, could sense that a turnaround was underway.
Cedar Crest is now 1-5-1 on the season. In the Colonial States Athletic Conference they are still 0-3, a goose egg the Falcons hope to break with a trip to CSAC opponent Rosemont on Saturday, October 1st, at 1:00 PM. The Patriots are still searching for their first win of the season.
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