Wolstenholme, McNulty return for Titans’ 5-2 win over Falcons

By Jacob Marrocco
Posted 9/27/16

The Toll Gate girls' soccer team officially has two of its best players back, and it could make the Titans a force in Division I. Striker Hannah McNulty (concussion) and defender Karla Wolstenholme (illness)

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

E-mail
Password
Log in

Wolstenholme, McNulty return for Titans’ 5-2 win over Falcons

Posted

The Toll Gate girls’ soccer team officially has two of its best players back, and it could make the Titans a force in Division I.

Striker Hannah McNulty (concussion) and defender Karla Wolstenholme (illness) returned to the pitch Friday to star in a 5-2 victory against overmatched Cranston West. It was the first D-I win of the season for Toll Gate.

“It was great,” McNulty said about getting back on the field. “It felt great to be back out on the field, playing with my team. We did well passing the ball together, getting out in front.”

Before the game, the Titans observed a moment of silence for Principal Stephen Chrabaszcz, who passed away unexpectedly Tuesday night. Several players, teachers and administrators also gathered at halftime to release red heart-shaped and blue star-shaped balloons into the sky in remembrance.

Toll Gate was driven to win Friday, and it wouldn’t be denied.

“Everyone was just ecstatic [and] ready to play,” McNulty said. “They were so pumped, even before the game. Everything was quick, they couldn’t wait to get out on to the field and play this game.”

Wolstenholme anchored the Titans’ defense down the stretch, while McNulty scored twice and added two assists. Toll Gate allowed 15 goals and scored only one in the four-game absence (0-4) of two of its most prolific players.

Their impact was felt immediately. After a missed opportunity in the opening minute for the Falcons, the Titans (1-4-1) took advantage down at the other end. McNulty sent a perfect cross from right-to-left, hitting Marisa Giard for a header goal.

West would find the equalizer about 10 minutes later. Captain Heather DiFazio found the back of the net after she drifted past her defenders to just beat goalkeeper Ani Armenakyan.

“We don't give up,” West head coach Jeremy Sherer said. “But we have just not found our form. We keep making the same mistakes over and over. It’s a good team, but a young team, so I’m hoping we’ll grow.”

That tie would not last for long, and the usual culprit was the reason.

McNulty took the ball to the right outer edge of the box, where she juked past the Falcon guarding her. With no one in front of her, she put a shot in the top corner where goalkeeper Olivia Idowu couldn’t get it.

“We’re just going to take pride out of the game,” McNulty said. “We did this for our principal. Throughout the season we’re going to do this for our principal. I think we’re just going to be very motivated this season to carry out some more wins.”

The Titans doubled their lead in the second half, but it almost came at a cost. McNulty met 1-on-1 with Idowu as both went for a loose ball, as the former trickled it past the latter as the two collided. McNulty struggled to get up immediately after and needed help off the field, but the injury to her shin wasn’t serious and she started the second half.

West freshman Kaitlyn Fitzgerald cut the lead in half with a goal over the fingertips of Armenakyan, but the Falcons’ defense couldn’t hold off the Toll Gate offense. While Wolstenholme and the rest of the back four suffocated West (0-6-1) for the final 22 minutes, the offense put the game away.

McNulty placed a rainbow cross right to an unmarked Emma Seidenberg for an easy goal in the 64th minute to bring the advantage back out to two goals. Seidenberg would add another in the final minutes to ice the first league triumph of the year for Toll Gate.

“She always says that she looks up to me and she always asks me what she should be doing,” McNulty said about whether she sees a bit of herself in the Seidenberg. “She definitely is trying to be strong on a defender and make turns, and definitely her headers.”

The Titans will look for their first winning streak of the year, but it will be an unenviable task. They travel up to Cumberland today for a 7 p.m. nightcap with the Clippers (5-0-0), who boast two of the top three scorers in the state. Julianne Ross leads all players with 17 points, while Abigail Drezek is in third with 14.

Comments

No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here