A late rally for the Bloomfield College women's soccer team fell just short as BC came close to converting on some late offensive chances in a 2-1 loss to Chestnut Hill College.
The offense was tough to come by for both teams as rainy and windy conditions made for a slick surface on the turf at Brookdale Park, but Chestnut Hill (3-2, 1-1 CACC) was able to open a 2-0 lead in a tightly contested match.
After taking early control of the game by dominating possession in the first 10 minutes, the Griffins jumped on the board early when Tara Morey hooked a corner kick directly into the goal.
The Deacons however would respond after the goal and settle in as the game became a back and forth battle for the remainder of the half. Chestnut Hill used an early barrage to take a 13-1 shot advantage at the half as BC could not generate much offense going into the wind.
The second half would be a different story as BC would create numerous scoring opportunities, but could not finish their final ball.
Chestnut Hill would get the break they needed in the 59th minute when Alyssa Radetich stepped in front of a Deacons midfielder on a BC goal kick, won possession and shot from 25 yards out on the right side. The ball skipped along the wet turf and eluded BC keeper Kira Wagar to give Chestnut Hill a 2-0 lead.
From that point on, the Deacons dominated play, creating multiple scoring chances in the games final 20 minutes. Their best scoring opportunity came when Christine Rutherford executed a beautiful spin move on a 50/50 ball and came free on a 25 yard breakaway. However, the attempt was stuffed by Chestnut Hill's keeper Jessica Veazey.
BC was finally able to break through when Laura Nunnery converted a direct kick from 20 yards out, blasting a perfectly placed shot over a wall and just under the crossbar.
The final 10 minutes were played mostly on Chestnut Hill's side as BC kept the pressure on. Jerrica Lavooy created a great opportunity as she executed a beautiful cross that found the foot of Erika Len at the 6 yard line, but again Veazey was there for the save.
With the loss, the Deacons fell to 2-2 on the year and 0-1 in the CACC. Wagar had 11 saves in playing well for the Deacons. BC's defense did a tremendous job in keeping Chestnut Hill's offense at bay. Freshman Vanessa Tobar led the defense in marking All-CACC forward Lauren Riiff. Tobar kept the CACC's leading scorer off the score sheet. It was the second straight game Tobar kept an elite opponent scoreless.
BC returns to action Tuesday for a home match against Caldwell College for a 3pm start.
Bloomfield College vs. Chestnut Hill Box Score
