Drysdale, Palaian Push Black Knights Past Colgate

Saturday, October 9

West Point, NY

1 PM

Army West Point

5-5-3, 2-1-2

Colgate

6-6-1, 2-2-1

Team	1	2	Final F
Colgate	0	1	1
Army West Point	1	1	2

Drysdale, Palaian Push Black Knights Past Colgate

October 09, 2021 | Women's Soccer

Box Score

MATCH 13
SCORE	Army 2, Colgate 1
SCORERS	Army - Lauren Drysdale (5'), Kaitlin Palaian (68') Colgate - Ally Giovino (68')
RECORDS	Army (5-5-3, 2-1-2 PL) Colgate (6-6-1, 2-2-1 PL)
LOCATION	Clinton Field at Malek Stadium (West Point, N.Y.)

WEST POINT, N.Y. – Behind a pair of goals from Lauren Drysdale and Kaitlin Palaian, the Army West Point women's soccer team defeated Colgate 2-1 on Saturday afternoon at Malek Stadium.

The goals were Drysdale and Palaian's first of the 2021 campaign, as they became the team's eighth and ninth scorers of the season. Additionally, the two goals tie for the most that Colgate has let up against a Patriot League team this year as the Raiders entered the game with a goals-against average of 0.78.

Army got its offense going early, putting pressure on Colgate's back line. The Black Knights were able to pack the box almost immediately after the game-opening whistle, which caused the Raiders to commit a fatal handball less than five minutes into the match. Drysdale took the penalty kick and converted it to hand the team its early 1-0 edge.

It took Colgate longer to crack the Cadets' defense, as their first test against keeper Sage Strohman was not until after the 15-minute mark. The rookie keeper stopped the visitors' first shot on-frame to preserve the lead.

The Black Knights went on to take their advantage, as well as a 9-5 lead in shots, into the halftime break. Throughout the opening 45 minutes, the home team also out-possessed the Raiders at 60% to 40%.

Coming out of the locker room, Army continued to attack Colgate's defense and earned a handful of corner quicks. The team was unable to capitalize on the opportunities and eventually traded some looks back-and-forth with the Raiders.

With just over 20 minutes left in the game, the Raiders used a one-on-one opportunity to score the equalizer. Though the shot ended Strohman's shutout, it did not keep the score tied for long as Palaian netted the go-ahead goal less than 30 seconds later. Madison Niebish was credited with her second assist of the season on Palaian's game-winning header.

Up 2-1, Army shifted its focus towards defending for the remainder of the game. The Raiders earned one final chance to score in the 87th minute when they took a free kick, but Strohman reeled in the ball to preserve the victory.

Inside the Box Score

Strohman finished her outing with three saves and faced 14 shots.
Palaian and Drysdale recorded a team-high three shots apiece, while eight total Cadets had looks at the net.
Army is 4-2-1 at Malek Stadium this season.
The Black Knights' defense limited Colgate to just one goal, despite the Raiders putting up five in their past three outings.
With the win, the team now stands alone at fourth in the Patriot League behind BU (T-1st, 4-1 PL), Bucknell (T-1st, 4-1 PL) and Loyola Maryland (3rd, 3-1-1 PL).

Coach's Corner
"Today was about the preparation, work and energy that every single one of our players did this entire week to be ready to step on the field," head coach Tracy Chao said. "They brought joy and intensity to the field against a solid Colgate team. And what a huge response by our squad after the tying goal to get one right back. Another fantastic defensive effort by our backline, goalkeeper and our midfielders. Eyes on Lafayette."

Cadets' Corner

"Today was a big ?????????????????? ??????… a huge team win."

Hear from today's goal scorers! ???? #GoArmy pic.twitter.com/yeBDI6zU7u
— Army W.Soccer (@ArmyWP_WSoccer) October 9, 2021

Up Next
The Cadets are set for a two-match road swing that will feature stops at Lafayette (Oct. 13) and Academy rival Navy (Oct. 16). During that stretch, the team will look to continue to climb the Patriot League standings as the postseason field begins to take shape.

Follow Along
For complete coverage of Army West Point women's soccer, follow the Black Knights on Twitter and Instagram at @ArmyWP_WSoccer and online at www.goarmywestpoint.com.