OLD WESTBURY, N.Y. - - Jessica Unsihuay broke a pair of ties in the second half as the Wilmington University women's soccer team won the back and forth battle in the 2019 season opener, 3-2, at New York Tech on Friday night.
It is the first time since the 2016 season that the Wildcats won the season opener, dropping a pair of one goal games the past two seasons. It is also the first time the Wildcats defeated the Bears since a 1-0 victory in 2007.
It didn't take long for the Wildcats to get on the board, as the women matched the men from Thursday with the first goal of the season coming off a turnover from the opposing goalie. Cassidy McErlain put the pressure on the keeper with the ball at her feet, stole the ball, and was able to score on the open net for the quick 1-0 lead just 1:35 into the contest.
Tech would go on to outshoot the Wildcats in the first half, 8-2, but redshirt sophomore goalie Emily Camp would make five stops to keep the game at 1-0 at the halftime break.
The Bears came out of the break and knotted the game in the early going, getting on the end of a loose ball in the box and flicking a volley up and over Camp and into the back of the net in the 50th minute.
But the Wildcats answered right back, countering on the Bears in the 57th minute. McErlain and Unsihuay were 2-on-2 with the back line of the Bears, and McErlain won the 50-50 ball and slotted the ball forward. Unsihuay beat the Bears' netminder to the ball way at about the 30-yard line and slid the ball underneath and into the empty net for the 2-1 lead.
The Wildcats would collect three of the next four shots in the game, but it was the individual effort of Nikki Bermudez that tied the game for the Bears in the 75th minute. She cut the ball back on her right foot and hit the upper right corner from the left corner of the box.
But it didn't take long for the Wildcats to answer right back once again, this time on a great feed from Samantha Emmi to Unsihuay. Emmi collected a ball in the box with her back to the goal, slipped Unsihuay free and she buried the shot for the 3-2 lead in the 81st minute.
The Bears would get two more shots in the game, but one was high and Camp saved the other for her first win as a Wildcat.
The Bears outshot the Wildcats, 15-8, in the match, but Camp made seven saves in the game.
The Wildcats return to action on Sunday as they remain on Long Island for another contest. They head to Adelphi for a 7:00 p.m. game under the lights.
