NEW HAVEN, Conn. - The Albertus Magnus College women's soccer team took down the top team in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC), 4-3 at Celentano Field on Sunday afternoon, handing the Raiders their first conference loss of the season.

Victoria Jainchill (Simsbury, Conn.) led the way for the Falcons, scoring twice, while Amy Stevens (Lincoln, R.I.) had eight saves.

THE BASICS
FINAL: Albertus Magnus 4  | Rivier 3
RECORDS: Albertus Magnus (3-3-2, 2-3-1 GNAC) | Rivier (6-2, 5-1 GNAC)
BOX SCORE

HOW IT HAPPENED

The Falcons dominated possession early on and finally would break through in the 18th minute Ejalam Bravo (New Britain, Conn.) found Jainchill, who was streaking down the left side. Jainchill took a shot from a tight angle into the lower right corner of the net past Rivier goalkeeper Bri Nugent to take a 1-0 lead.

The score would remain the same going into halftime thanks in part to Stevens, who made two diving saves in the first half.

Rivier got on the board in the 49th minute on an own goal to tie the game, but back-to-back goals from Erina Ismali (Middlebury, Conn.) and Bravo just 2:38 apart gave the Falcons a 3-1 lead.

Ismali's goal came in the 70th minute as she took a pass at the top of the box from Sara Pearson (East Hartford, Conn.), spun on her defender. As two more defenders came to help, Ismali switched the ball to her right foot and found an opening for her fourth goal of the season.

In the 73rd minute, Bravo took the rebound of a shot from Valeria Gonzales (Norwalk, Conn.) that was blocked after a cross from Gianna Mendez (East Haven, Conn.) to give Albertus the two-goal lead.

The Raiders added a goal in the 80th minute as Emily Lizotte scored the first of her two goals, but Jainchill put in her second goal of the game in the 86th minute as a Rivier defender misplayed a ball, leaving Jainchill all alone. Nugent came out of the net, but Jainchill dribbled by her and scored into a wide-open net.

The goal proved large as Lizotte scored her second goal of the game just 33 seconds later as Anna Gorman floated a pass over three Falcons right to the foot of Lizotte who had a point blank look at the goal.

BETWEEN THE PIPES
Albertus - Amy Stevens (W, 3-3-2): 11 Shots on Goal | 3 Goals-Against | 8 Saves
Rivier - Bri Nugent (L, 4-2-1): 7 SOG | 4 Goals-Against | 3 Saves

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Albertus had ten corner kicks on the day to just two for Rivier.

• Rivier outshot Albertus, 23-12, including 15 shots in the second half.

NOTEWORTHY

• Bravo now has a point in her last three games. It was also her second three-point performance of the season. She is tied for the GNAC lead with five assists.

• It was Jainchill's first-multi-goal game of her career. She has scored a goal in back-to-back games.

• Albertus is now 15-0-1 in its last 16 matchups against Rivier.

• Stevens leads the GNAC in saves with 57.

UP NEXT

The Falcons host Norwich at Celentano Field in a GNAC tilt on Tuesday, September 26 at 6 p.m.