On a snowy Sunday in West Point, New York, Army captured its first win of the season. For first-year coach Michelle Tumolo, it was a “weight lifted” off her shoulders.
“We had a tough week of playing ranked opponents and getting our butts kicked,” Tumolo said. “I’m really proud of our group being able to take on another talented team and come up with a win. It really shows a lot about our character and poise and culture to be able to bounce back and stay positive.”
The Black Knights persevered through a delayed start, a change in game location due to weather and a three-goal deficit at halftime to come away with their first win of 2022 and first win under Tumolo’s leadership. Securing the victory during their home opener was emotional, junior midfielder Jolie Riedell said.
“Coming together as a team on our home field, where we knew we wanted to remain undefeated, is the most overwhelming feeling of gratitude and passion and heart for the game,” Riedell said. “It was awesome.”
But Army initially struggled to control the matchup. The Black Knights trailed by three goals at multiple points and couldn’t capitalize offensively, even as they won six draws to Hofstra’s three. Tumolo gave Army a “hard talk” at halftime, she said, telling her players that they needed to be tougher and stick to their game plan — including paying special attention to the draw.
The Black Knights took the halftime talk to heart. The team dominated the draw in the second half with an 11-3 advantage — including six controls by junior midfielder Julia Franzoni. Tumolo said she was impressed by the team’s success off the circle during the second half, saying it gave Army more control over the game and helped her team gain momentum on offense.
From there, the Black Knights’ offense took off. The team went on a 4-1 run in the third quarter, including two tallies from Riedell, to knot the score at 8. Hofstra swiftly answered, regaining the lead at the end of the third, but a 5-0 Army run in the fourth quarter put the Pride’s chances of victory to rest.
The postgame scene was one of on-field team celebrations and a joyous embrace by the coaching staff. A video posted to the Black Knights’ social media accounts showed a tearful Tumolo hugging her assistants after the victory.
“I’m an emotional person,” Tumolo said. “I wear my heart on my sleeve. We [went] through a lot this past week of losing. You question your own self and your ability to get your team prepared. I knew that we were doing the best we could, and it wasn’t going to be easy. [Winning] just felt really good.”
Riedell called the video of her coaches embracing the “coolest thing,” saying Tumolo is “so passionate” about what she does. She still finds it crazy that she gets to play for Tumolo — a player she has looked up to since she first started playing.
Tumolo has just three games under her belt at West Point, but she said she’s already noticing growth each week and remains impressed by the team’s tenacity in the face of adversity.
“You want to be resilient after losing,” Tumolo said. “You never want to lose, but when you lose to teams that are ranked and have a bit more experience in the NCAA tournament … I just wanted our team to still believe in themselves and to not get down on themselves, and I’ve seen that. That’s a true testament to the belief that this team has.”
NUMBERS OF NOTE
3
Denver initially struggled against Stanford on Friday, trailing 5-2 with four minutes left in the first half. The Pioneers quickly took over, however, holding Stanford to just three shots throughout the second half en route to an 8-6 win.
284
Boston College dominated Boston University on Saturday, as 10 different Eagles scored to take the Terriers down 22-6. Graduate attacker Charlotte North notched four goals, surpassing former Eagle Sam Apuzzo to lead the ACC in all-time career goals with 284. She’s since raised that figure to 290 after BC’s takedown of Virginia on Wednesday.
4-0
Temple junior midfielder Belle Mastropietro quickly made her mark against Saint Joseph’s on Saturday, scoring four straight goals to give the Owls a 4-0 lead less than four minutes into the matchup. Mastropietro, the preseason AAC midfielder of the year, now has 11 goals and 12 draw controls across three games.
24
Yale handily defeated Sacred Heart 15-4 on Saturday in the program’s first game since March 2020. The Bulldogs’ roster features 24 first-year and sophomore players — many of whom played a key role in their victory. First-year attacker Fallon Vaughn and sophomore attacker Bri Carrasquillo both notched hat tricks, and first-year goalkeeper Cami Donadio kept the Bulldogs in it defensively with five saves.