By PAUL GOTHAM
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Depending upon the facility, a soccer pitch measures approximately 75 yards from sideline to sideline.
On Tuesday night, the Aquinas girls’ soccer team utilized that width in the second half. The move paid dividends as their leading scorer found open spaces in the middle and took advantage.
Chanel Alexander collected a second-half hat trick, and the Lady Irish defeated Brockport, 4-1 for their second win in three games.
“At halftime, we knew we had to get one,” she said. “Once you start scoring, you get momentum. Then 4-1, there you go.”
The senior forward struck less than five minutes into the second stanza on an unassisted goal and then again three minutes later on the go-ahead tally. She added insurance in the 74th minute.
“Our plan was to get one in the first five (minutes of the half),” she explained. “We just went after it the second half. We knew we needed to get goals, start scoring.”
Deadlocked in a scoreless tie, Alexander took advantage of a second-chance opportunity to tuck a shot under the crossbar from just inside the 18-yard box to give AQ the lead with 35:34 remaining in the game.
Less than 30 seconds later, Brockport’s Nadia Nealon leveled the match with her fourth goal of the year.
Alexander responded three minutes later when she found room to run along the right side and went opposite side netting for a 2-1 edge.
That Alexander found space in which to run came as a result of a halftime adjustment.
“In the first half, we were collecting the ball in the middle of the pitch and trying to go to goal,” Aquinas head coach Adam Schwartz explained. “They just packed it in so it didn’t work. In the second half, we wanted to get the ball wide, attack the flank to get to the end line and whip it across. More of when it comes inside, play it out wide and then attack.”
75’ Chanel Alexander finds the back of the net for the hat trick. Aquinas 4 @BportGSoccer 1 pic.twitter.com/NNvqX8qJeJ
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) November 3, 2020
Alexander put the game out of reach with 5:45 left on the clock. Hanna Fenton assisted on the play.
“When they play inside to her, two or three players just collapse on her,” Schwartz noted. “If you put it out wide, then they’re all of a sudden looking at the ball and they lose track of Chanel.”
With Tuesday’s efforts, Alexander ran her season total to 11 goals and career mark to 41 with the Lady Irish.
“Every team we play knows Chanel. They’re going to be all over her, so we try to create different ways to get her opportunities.”
Emma Sodoma denies Chanel Alexander on this early opportunity. pic.twitter.com/hNMn55B9ZR
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) November 3, 2020
Fenton and Emily Silverstein were two of the players partly responsible for establishing AQ on the outside third of the field.
“We have some players that have pace that can get to the end line,” Schwartz noted. “That’s what we have to do if we’re going to be successful.”
Schwartz also pointed to the play of junior Samantha Brescia.
“Sammy Brescia had a brilliant second half. She took her game to a different level and attacked with speed. Hats off to Sammy. She had a brilliant match out wide.”
Isabelle Schifano made nine saves in the win. None more important than a stop off a shot from Ella Fadale in the first minute coming out of the break. Moments later, the Blue Devils had another chance that went just wide of the frame.
“Give Brockport a lot of credit,” Schwartz said. “They came out and really pushed the play the first four or five minutes. I felt if we could just weather that storm, the way we were playing, that we would get opportunities. It’s a good thing we were able to get through that. There are times in the game when that happens. It’s the ebb and flow of soccer.”
GG Allen comes this close for @BportGSoccer pic.twitter.com/cr9uhm3De5
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) November 3, 2020
With 17:02 remaining, Schifano went to the bench after a collision just outside the six-yard box sent the the senior first-year player to the turf. She returned moments later and tipped a blast off the foot of Maija Young over the bar.
Two minutes later, Amaris Watts extended the Aquinas lead to 3-1. Alexander collected an assist on the play.
The Lady Irish improved to 5-3-0 with the win. If sectionals started today, Aquinas would have the No. 8 seed in Class A and open against Churchville-Chili. Brockport fell to 4-5-0 and currently have the 11-seed. They would play Eastridge in the first round.
“We’re really the underdog,” Alexander said. “We just got to take advantage of that and show everyone we’re here to play.”
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