HAMILTON – Emily Amano netted the lone goal with less than four minutes left in regulation and
Kelly Chiavaro posted four saves to lead Colgate to its sixth consecutive win with a 1-0 victory over Holy Cross on a cold, rainy Wednesday night at Beyer-Small '76 Field.
With the win, Colgate recorded its fourth straight shutout and stretched its unbeaten streak to 11 straight games, dating back to Aug. 30. The Raiders also take over first place in the Patriot League standings after Boston University earned a 1-1 draw at Army late Wednesday night.
In a back-and-forth match that featured chances on both ends, the Raiders prevailed in the final minutes of regulation.
Sage DiGiulio set up the goal with a long pass from midfield that caught the Crusaders' back line off guard. Amano tracked down the loose ball near the top of the box and cashed in from seven yards out with a low shot past the outstretched arms of Sophia Lettieri to send Colgate home with the victory.
The Raider defense once again stepped up to protect the scoreless streak that has now surpassed 360 minutes. Chiavaro recorded four saves in all, with three of her stops coming in the first 28 minutes of the match.
Holy Cross came away with its best chance early on when Samantha Peters struck a shot on goal from beyond the 18-yard box. In slick conditions, the ball slipped through the hands of Chiavaro but deflected off the crossbar and caromed directly back into the hands of the Raider keeper.
Chiavaro notched one save in the second half on a long set piece by Ang Seslija to set up the Raiders for the game-winning goal down the stretch.
BOTTOM LINE
• Colgate 1, Holy Cross 0
FOR THE RECORD
• Colgate improved to 10-2-3 overall and 6-0-1 in Patriot League play.
• Holy Cross fell to 4-11-0 on the season and 2-5-0 in league action after the loss.
KEY RAIDER NOTES
• Amano's goal was the second tally of her collegiate career. Both of her goals have been game-winners.
• DiGiulio picked up her second assist and sixth point of the season.
• Chiavaro improved to 10-2-3 on the season with her league-best eighth clean sheet of the year.
• Chiavaro lowered her goals-against average to 0.46 and boosted her save percentage to .913 for the year. She leads the Patriot League in both categories.
BY THE NUMBERS
• Colgate led in the shots department 17-13, but the Crusaders held the advantage in shots on goal (4-3).
• Corner kicks finished 8-3 in favor of the Raiders.
• Holy Cross committed six fouls while the Raiders were called for three fouls.
FROM THE SOURCE
• Colgate head coach
Kathy Brawn:
It took us a while to get going and that is a credit to Holy Cross. They took us out of our game a little bit but we never gave them anything too dangerous. We are happy we were able to crack the code late in the match and fortunately
Emily Amano was able to come away with the late finish.
Our defense is so solid. I felt our defenders stepped up tonight. Their personalities came out a little more at a time when we needed them. It was one of the hardest games we have played yet this year and to be able to find a way to win is encouraging.
We now have a quick turnaround with a tough matchup at Navy on Saturday morning and then Boston University. We have to recover from this win and get ready for a business trip in Maryland.
UP NEXT
• Colgate heads to Annapolis, Md., for a Patriot League showdown at Navy on Saturday.
• Kickoff is set for 11 a.m.
