(Dean controlling the ball against Rivier)
(Photo Courtesy: Eric Stoller)
FRANKLIN-The (1-2-1) Dean Bulldogs hosted the (0-3) Rivier Raiders at Grant Field, Sunday in a game defined by intense defense. Both Dean and Rivier played excellent defense but struggled offensively resulting in a 0-0 tie. The first half of the game saw both teams take a combined fourteen shots, none of which found the inside of the net. Strong communication on defense from these two teams resulted in a quiet first forty-five minutes.
Like in their previous game, Dean entered the second half energized, applying higher pressure on Rivier’s side of the field early on. Dean was owning the field offensively, for the first fifteen minutes, until they gradually started to rack up minor miscues, leading to turnovers. As the final fifteen minutes rolled around, the game’s pace became quicker and Rivier’s offense came alive but failed to break through.
Around the twenty-minute mark of the last half, Dean’s forward, Lisette Ayala, suffered an apparent injury in the act of a save by Radier's Goalie, Julia Cafferty. Ayala tried to avoid contact with the goalie by jumping over her once Cafferty had controlled possession of the ball. Instantly, Ayala fell to the ground and had to be helped off the field by her coaching staff. It was still fully unclear what the exact injury was.
When asked after the game what officially went wrong, Lisette Ayala confirmed it was a back injury, and stated that she felt okay.
Although Ayala avoided an injury scare and bravely went back in, time will tell to see how she is feeling in the next couple of days.
When Dean’s Head Coach, Ashley Magruda-Wood, was asked after the game, what stood out to her the most that kept her team in the game, she said “we battled”.
Dean now stands at a record of 1-2-2, while the Raiders move to 0-3-1, remaining winless on the season. This Wednesday, Dean will travel to New London, New Hampshire, for their next game against Colby-Sawyer College at 3:00.
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