Fourth-Quarter Surge Seals Win for Cougars Over Pride

WORCESTER, Mass. -- The Pride traveled to the Granger Athletic Complex tonight to face the Cougars of Clark University, where the home team used a strong final frame to pull away and secure a 5–1 victory over the Pride.

Izzy Cochrane (Hooksett, N.H.) scored the lone goal for the Pride, assisted by Anna Miele-DeFelice (Framingham, Mass.). In goal, Allayna Martone (Elkridge, Md.) made 14 saves in the effort. 

For Clark, Morgan Brown recorded two goals, while Alison Kopec added a goal and an assist. Rachel Reiter finished with eight saves in net to secure the win.

How it Happened

Just three minutes in, Kopec connected with Brown to give the Cougars an early 1–0 lead. They continued to push for more, but Martone stood tall in net, turning away four shots to keep the Pride within striking distance heading into the first intermission.

In the second frame, Martone was tested again, making three more saves to keep the Cougars from extending their lead. In the closing minute, Kailey Araujo nearly pulled the Pride level, but the Cougars' keeper came up with the stop to preserve the 1–0 scoreline at halftime.

Mackenzie O'Shea came out firing to open the third, unleashing four shots in under a minute, but Cougar keeper Reiter turned them all aside, along with a follow-up attempt from Teal Galligan. Moments later, Ava Costello earned a penalty opportunity, but once again the Pride were denied by Reiter. Their persistence finally paid off in the 36th minute, when Miele-DeFelice found Cochrane in the box for the long-awaited equalizer. The Cougars, however, managed to answer five minutes later as Brown tallied her second goal of the night to reclaim the lead, 2–1.

The Cougars opened the fourth with a flurry of seven shots before finally breaking through, as Kopec extended the lead to 3–1. Clark would find the back of the net two more times in the closing five minutes to seal the 5–1 result at Granger Athletic Complex.

Inside the Numbers

• The Pride rattled off seven shots on goal in the third stanza alone. 
• Izzy Cochrane has scored in back-to-back outings for the Pride. 
• Allayna Martone recorded her fourth game of the season with 10 or more saves. 

Up Next

The Pride remain on the road this week, traveling to Brighton, Massachusetts, for a Great Northeast Athletic Conference matchup against the Simmons College Sharks on Wednesday, October 1, at 5 p.m.