Women’s Soccer Earns Home Field Advantage in YSCC Quarterfinal

Albany, NY ~ On an unseasonably warm Tuesday night on the road, the Paul Smith's College Women's Soccer Team won their last regular season Yankee Small College Conference (YSCC) game against Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences 3-1 to secure home-field advantage in the first round of playoffs.

Both teams came out strong in the first half, but it was the Bobcats who kept the pressure on the Panthers, outshooting the hosts 5-1.  And while neither team was able to get the breakthrough goal, the energy was building into the intermission.

It was the hosts who scored first as Julia Roemer was able to get one by goalkeeper Peyton Hoffman (Ilion, NY).  The visitors didn't let the deficit get them down, and instead used it as motivation to continue the push forward.

The equalizer came in the 72nd minute as Katrien Roefs (Bainbridge, NY) delivered a beautiful header into the back of the Panther net from a textbook corner by Micaela Diller (Marlton, NJ).

Roefs would score the go-ahead goal just seven minutes later as she chipped the ACPHS goalie after a long one-touch to herself to put the Bobcats up 2-1.  Hayleigh Gates (West Winfield, NY) would score the insurance goal in the 82nd minute after a through ball from Diller saw the Bobcats' leading goal scorer blast by a defender en route to slipping the ball past the Panther keeper.

Senior captain Katrien Roefs had been in situations like the one the Bobcats found themselves in late in the game before, resulting in a calmness that only seasoned players can exude.

"After going down early in the second half, our team did a great job at keeping our composure and intensity.  We were able to keep possession well and did what we needed to do to find the back of the net," said Roefs.

Diller, a sophomore, knew that it would also take a significant amount of grit and determination to claw back to level and eventually win.

"We pushed ourselves stronger after halftime," said Diller.

"Getting involved in this game with movement was something... which allowed me to work better with Kate and Hayleigh which resulted in us scoring three goals in 10 minutes - it was truly an unbelievable experience," recalled Diller.

Head coach Kelvey McGinnis put things in perspective for her team after the game.  "What a win," said McGinnis.

"To come back from behind shows where this team has come this year.  I told them to go out, have fun, and fight hard for the win and they did exactly that.  Ending the regular season schedule with a big win like this puts us in a great mindset to go into the post season.  I'm excited to have one final game at home this weekend," added McGinnis.

The Bobcats finish the regular season at 6-4 overall and will host the University of Maine at Augusta on Sunday, October 27th at the PSC Soccer Field in the #3 vs. #6 YSCC Quarterfinal.  The winner of that game will punch their ticket to the YSCC Final Four held at Word of Life Bible Institute in Pottersville, NY November 2nd and 3rd.  The Bobcats will look to get revenge on the UMA Moose who stole a game from them early in the season.

You can follow the women's soccer team on Instagram at @paulsmiths_wsoccer or follow the general athletics account at @smitty_nation for scores, highlights, pictures, and much more!

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At Paul Smith's College, it's about the experience. As the only four-year institution of higher education located in the Adirondack Park in upstate New York, Paul Smith's provides real-world, hands-on learning in fields such as business and hospitality, culinary management, forestry, environmental sciences, and natural resources. We can draw on industries and resources available in our backyard while preparing students for successful careers anywhere. Our community of resourceful, enterprising, supportive, and adventurous individuals collectively provides experiential education, student support in the classroom and beyond, and meaningful opportunities for our alumni. We pride ourselves on research and advocacy on issues that improve our planet and the lives of the people who inhabit it. Learn more at www.paulsmiths.edu.