The Rhody Rams women’s soccer team is still fighting for its first win of the season.
Thursday night marked the beginning of conference play within the Atlantic 10 division. The Rhode Island Rams traveled to Saint Joseph’s University in Pennsylvania to take on the Hawks in what ultimately ended in a 0-0 draw. The team’s record remains at 0-5-4.
The Hawks came out with energy during the first half of the game. With two corner kicks and a shot within the first two minutes, the Hawks held possession of the ball for most of the half. In the 14th minute, third-year Christina Sallent took the first shot of the night for Rhode Island, but it was ultimately blocked by St. Jose’s goalkeeper Katie Cappelletti. With two back-to-back fouls on Rhode Island in the span of two minutes, the Rams needed a turnaround in their play.
“We have to come out a little harder from the start and perform for the full 90 [minutes],” fourth-year goalkeeper Faith Hutchins said. Fourth-year Tess O’Connell had arguably the best scoring chance of the night with a quick drive in the 19th minute. Flying around SJU’s defenders, O’Connell took the shot but the ball couldn’t find the back of the net and instead deflected off the pole.
In the second half of the first half, the Rams were able to tighten up their play. Sallent and O’Connell held together a powerful offense and they were able to take three more shots on SJU to no avail.
After the return from the half, the Hawks struggled to find their groove. With three offside calls and a yellow card within eight minutes, the Hawks lost their momentum. O’Connell, still hungry for a goal, took URI’s first shot of the half, but it was saved by SJU’s Cappelletti. In the last ten minutes of the game, Rhode Island was able to take three more shots, however none were able to score. This being said, the Rams had a very confident defense in the second half, holding the Hawks to only two shots in forty-five minutes.
“I was really proud of how the defense performed,” said Hutchins. “All the way from up top to that back line, [they] performed through that entire game.”
In total, the Rams outshot the Hawks 11-6. With both teams failing to score, some credit must be given to the goalkeepers of the game. Hutchins had a total of three saves that game, making it her tenth career shutout. Cappelletti had six saves, making it her seventeenth career shutout .
Despite not getting the results they wanted, the Rams will keep pushing through their A-10 conference schedule.
“All we can really do is hopefully come up from there,” Hutchins said as the Rams prepare for the rest of the season.
Following the loss, the Rams played Brown University Sunday and lost 0-1. They will continue to fight for their first win of the season on Thursday against Duquesne in their first A-10 home game. The game is at 7 p.m. and can be streamed live on ESPN+.