West Haven, Conn. -- Senior Desi Guenther scored a goal and added an assist, and classmate Crystal Lindsay tied her own school record with her 22nd goal of the season on Saturday at Robert B. Dodds Stadium, lifting the UNH women's soccer team to a 3-1 ECC victory over New York Tech on Senior Day.
New Haven (12-4-3 overall) improved to 7-1-2 in the East Coast Conference and picked up three more points in the league standings as they look toward the conference tournament next weekend (October 27 and 29). New York Tech, which had won seven of its last 10 matches, fell to 7-10 overall and 3-5 in ECC play.
Guenther lobbed a pass into the box just 4 minutes, 15 seconds into the game where forward Amy Desmarais was waiting and converted on a 1-on-1 opportunity with the goalkeeper.
NYIT would tie the contest at 1-1 on Melanie Pinzon's fifth goal of the season, when she took a turnover near the top of the box and sent a high floating shot over the head of the Chargers' goalkeeper from 25 yards out.
The score remained tied at halftime, but the Chargers came out in the second half with determination to end the game. At the 63:15 mark, Guenther took the ball up the right side and hit a soft shot that deflected off a defender right back to her. She then hesitated about 7 yards from the goal, and drew the keeper off her line before touching home her fourth goal this season to the right side of the net. It was Desi's third game-winner of the season.
Lindsay, the school's all-time scoring leader, tied her own school record with her 22nd goal of the season at exactly 87 minutes gone by to ice the game. She shot from an odd angle on the left side of the net and banked the ball in off a NYIT defender for her 81st career score in her final home appearance at UNH.
Prior to the match, UNH honored the team's six senior student-athletes. Guenther, Lindsay, Maureen MacConnell, Jennie Bergeron, Allie Shiner and Eileen O'Brien all helped lay the foundation for the team's success the past two seasons as UNH has won 29 matches during that time and last year made the school's first-ever appearance in the NCAA Women's Soccer Championships.
UNH awaits official word on who they will face in the East Coast Conference women's soccer championship semifinals next weekend. Adelphi can clinch a spot in the tournament and knock out C.W. Post with a victory at Mercy in the final league match on Monday.
