Syracuse University
Providence
Bellingham Nets a Pair of Goals in Season Finale
10/26/2008 4:18:22 PM | Women's Soccer
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Sophomore Megan Bellingham scored a pair of goals but the Orange couldn’t hold the lead in a 3-2 loss at Providence on Sunday, Oct. 26. Syracuse ends the season with a 5-11-2 overall mark, including a 2-8-1 record in BIG EAST play.
“It was a heart-breaking loss,” said Syracuse first-year head coach Phil Wheddon. “We had numerous opportunities to score. We have to be able to finish games and stay focused for 90 minutes. We fought hard all year. We’ve been a bit unfortunate with some of our results. We’ve made significant gains and will continue to do so. We will continue to train and take the steps necessary to build the program.”
Providence (6-8-3, 1-7-3) took an early lead, scoring in the second minute when Kelly Pettersen took a pass from Kimberly Pine and found the back of the net with a shot from 15 yards. The Orange answered in the 12th minute when Bellingham’s shot from 30 yards hit the crossbar and bounced into the goal.
Syracuse took its first lead of the game on Bellingham’s second goal from five yards out in the 48th minute. Redshirt freshman Kaitlin Robbins was credited with an assist on the play, the first of her career. The Friars scored the equalizer in the 83rd minute when Taylor Bartini deflected Jill Camburn’s cross into the goal. Less than four minutes later, Providence notched the game-winner on Lindsey Trubia’s header off a cross by Christie Gent in the 87th minute.
Syracuse had 13 shots on goal and five corner kicks to five shots on goal and three corner kicks for Providence. The Friars’ Jill Schott recorded 11 saves, while SU’s Eliza Bennett-Hattan had two saves.
Bellingham finishes the season as Syracuse’s leading scorer with eight goals and 17 points. The eight goals and 17 points are the highest single-season totals for an SU player since 2001 when Nina Scalzo scored 11 goals and also recorded 17 points. In addition, Bellingham’s eight goals tie her for ninth on the single-season record list and are the fourth-highest single-season total by a sophomore in the program’s history.
Ten members of the Orange closed out their collegiate careers in the contest at Providence, including Amanda Arcuri, Karrah Benson, Emily Bush, Lauren Cappelli, Sara Grimsgaard, Kristen Hamill, Katie Peck, Crystal Rinaldi, Sarah VanSickle and Amy Ware.
“I want to thank the seniors for their hard work and dedication to the program,” Wheddon said. “The team and I will miss them.”
Cappelli, Benson and VanSickle were in the starting lineup against Providence, extending their streaks of starting every game they played in at Syracuse. All three finish their careers ranked in the top 10 on SU’s career games started list. Cappelli ranks fifth (76 starts), while VanSickle is seventh (74 starts) and Benson is eighth (73 starts).
