Following an overtime loss to Vermont Saturday, the women’s soccer team returned home to Stevenson-Pincince Field to play its crosstown foe Providence College. While Brown (3-2) leads the overall series 20-9-0, PC (2-4) has dominated as of late. In their 29th matchup, PC emerged victorious for the fifth straight year, leading for the entirety of the game with a 3-1 win. Star White ’21 prevented the shutout by scoring her second goal of the season on an empty net in the second half, but the Bears weren’t able to capitalize on their late offensive surge.
“I’m excited that I was able to score but disappointed that it was at the end of the game because we didn’t have as much time to go off the momentum,” said White.
Prior to White’s tally, the opening half was highlighted by shots from multiple Brown players including midfielder Jennifer Caruso ’19. But Providence controlled the game on offense, outshooting the Bears eight to six and netting three goals in the half. Co-captain and 2016 Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year Christine Etzel ’19 made a clutch save at 37:56, stopping the Friars from going up by four before halftime. Abby Carchio ’20 made the Bears’ final offensive effort in the first half in the 39th minute of play but was blocked by Providence’s Shelby Hogan.
Brown came out strong in the second half, outshooting PC 10 to four and putting pressure on the Friars in the midfield. Etzel also recorded 4 more saves. But this effort was not enough for the Bears to overcome the two-goal deficit, with the score reading 3-1 as the final buzzer sounded.
“Every year, this game is a battle,” Head Coach Kia McNeill said. “I thought the game itself was better than the score indicated. It was the tale of two halves. They had the better run of the game in the first half, and we had the better run in the second half. It just comes down to finishing your opportunities.”
Coach McNeill also suggested potential formation changes for the upcoming games. “We have a lot of dangerous players in the attacking third. I think playing a little bit more of an offensive formation will help that. … Despite the loss, I’m really proud of our team. We were resilient in the second half. We could have hung our heads and dipped out of this game, but we didn’t. We kept fighting back.”
The Bears will continue their season Sunday hosting Lafayette College. Bruno’s first Ivy League contest will fall against Dartmouth September 24.
“These games are really trying to get us primed and ready for Ivy League play,” McNeill said. “We’re trying to get better and better every game and to put the pieces of the puzzle together to make sure that we have the best formation going forward into our first game against Dartmouth. We want to peak at the right time.”
