Coming off their third straight one goal victory, the Lady Pioneers field hockey team, led by sophomore defender Grace Ilias and her two goals, ousted Pace University by a score of 3-1 at Bethpage Federal Credit Union Stadium on Wednesday, Oct. 21. Ilias didn’t take long to get her team on the board as she scored in the fourth minute to break the scoreless game. After another goal by Ilias in the 19th minute, senior forward Keliann Margiota gave the Pioneers the commanding 3-0 lead on a penalty stroke. The Pioneers won the match by a score of 3-1. After a few days off, it was a different team but the same result, as the Lady Pioneers welcomed American International College to Brookville on Saturday, Oct. 24. They upended AIC by a score of 3-1, thanks to a two goal effort from Margiotta. Protecting the net, junior goalkeeper Ericka Parks played back-to-back strong games, allowing two total goals and putting her team in a good position to win. LIU returns to the field on Wednesday, October 28 in Massachusetts against Bentley University. Face-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.
Men’s Soccer
Senior forward Matias Ruiz was the hero for the Pioneers on Friday, Oct. 23, as he netted a goal late in a tie game to give the Pioneers the 4-3 win over Roberts Wesleyan College in front of the LIU Post faithful. The match saw some highs and lows for the Pioneers, starting with a high in the sixth minute. A goal by sophomore forward Jason Lampkin gave LIU the quick 1-0 lead. That goal was immediately answered with one by Roberts Wesleyan to draw even at one. After a goal by senior forward Per Forgaard, the score looked to be 2-1 Pioneers going into the break, but junior forward Johann Kristjansson gave the Pioneers an even bigger lead when he scored just before the half. That lead evaporated early in the latter stanza as Roberts Wesleyan came out kicking and notched two goals in a span of five minutes to tie the match at three. Looking for an answer, Forgaard was able to find Ruiz, who bent a shot just inside the right post for the game winner. LIU Post looked to carry the adrenaline from this game into their date with Daemen College on Sunday, Oct. 25, and did they ever. The Pioneers notched a season high eight goals and quadrupled Daemen on the scoreboard, winning 8-2. The Pioneers got two goal performances from Ruiz, who continued his stellar, sophomore midfielder Harry Pearse, and sophomore forward Toby Ilomuanya. The Pioneers drew first blood in the 18th minute, but opened up the floodgates in the second half, as they scored six times in just 30 minutes. LIU, now unbeaten since Sept. 12, will host Molloy College on Wednesday, October 28 at 12 p.m.
Women’s Swimming
The 2015-2016 campaign for the women’s swimming team got underway on Saturday, Oct. 24, when they invited Central Connecticut State University to the Pratt Natatorium. Although they dropped the meet by a score of 129-96, senior Joyce Kwok was one of the bright spots for LIU. She won the 100 and 200-yard butterfly events as well as the 200-yard backstroke. In addition to Kwok, fellow senior Meghan Brazier finished first in the 100-freestyle which won her first place. She also finished second in the 100-backstroke and third in the 50-freestyle. The Pioneers are back in the pool on Saturday, Oct. 31, when they travel to East Stroudsburg University. The meet is set to begin at 1 p.m.
Women’s Soccer
Senior forward Susanne Vistnes: 2 – Roberts Wesleyan College: 1. That was the story from the Pioneers’ matchup against Roberts Wesleyan on Friday, Oct. 23, in Brookville. Vistnes extended her program scoring record with a goal in the 17th minute, due in part to some fancy footwork. The scoring ceased for the rest of the half after that goal, but both teams combined for 12 shots. Late in the second half, LIU got called for a hand ball inside the box, which set up a penalty kick for Bella Mitrevski. The junior midfielder converted the shot and forced overtime. In the first overtime session, neither team scored. Then, in the second overtime, Vistnes received a cross from junior midfielder Katie Kingston and connected for the game-winning goal, which lifted the Pioneers to victory by a score of 2-1. They looked to carry the momentum into the game on Saturday, Oct. 24 against Daemen College. In that matchup, the Pioneers were the aggressors and it payed off. They outshot Daemen and also earned more corner kicks from their aggression. They got their first tally in the 25th minute from Vistnes, but that was all the scoring for the first 45 minutes. With a 1-0 lead early in the second half, the Pioneers struck three times in just over ten minutes. Headers from Kingston and senior back Katie LaManna, followed by a goal from freshman forward Andrea Huntzinger, put the game out of reach and gave the Pioneers their 12th win of year. They are now unbeaten in their last six matches. The ladies return to the pitch on Wednesday, October 28 against Molloy College. Kickoff from Pioneer Country is set for 3 p.m.
Women’s Tennis
In their ECC Semifinal matchup against top seeded NYIT on Friday, Oct. 23, the Pioneers fell by a score of 5-2. The lone victory for the Pioneers in singles play came from sophomore Meagan Byrne, who fought back after dropping the first set. She won her match, 2-6, 6-1, 6-2. The other victory for the Pioneers came in the first doubles flight as seniors Didi Fatchikova and Lucie Chrastecka dominated their opponents and won by a score of 8-1. The fall portion of the ladies 2015 campaign has ended, but they will continue their quest for the ECC crown in the spring of 2016.
Women’s Volleyball
The Pioneers wasted little time in dismantling Molloy College on Thursday, Oct. 22, as they won the match in straight sets, 3-0. In a tightly contested first set, the Pioneers went on a 6-2 run late to grab a commanding lead and an eventual set win. The second set, much like the first one, was a back-and-forth affair, and similar to first set, the Pioneers put themselves in position to succeed. Tied at 21, a pair of unforced errors by Molloy coupled with kills from sophomore outside hitter Danielle Valenza and freshman outside hitter Rachel Londot, led to another set victory for the Pioneers. The third set was all LIU Post, as they cruised to their 18th victory of the season. Valenza, Londot, and freshman middle hitter Elise Strange had nine kills apiece to lead the squad. The Pioneers serve up their next match on Saturday, Nov. 7, as they travel to Connecticut to square off against the University of Bridgeport. Game time is set for 7 p.m.
This article was originally published in the Pioneer, the award-winning student newspaper of LIU Post, www.liupostpioneer.com, and is republished here by Blank Slate Media with the permission of the Pioneer.
