“It feels amazing and is a moment I’ll never forget. I’m really proud of it, but I couldn’t have done it without my teammates and coaches who have supported me these past four years,” said senior Morgan Bovardi.
On Oct. 8, during a 2-0 victory over Merrimack College, Bovardi broke the record for most goals in Sacred Heart women’s soccer history. In the 80th minute, Bovardi netted her 27th career goal, breaking a record that was held for over 20 years.
Source: Jack Cavicchi, Senior Photo Editor and Assistant Sports Editor
The Merrimack win was number four out of a five game winning streak for the Pioneers. During this stretch, the team had wins over Rider University, Canisius College, Mount St. Mary’s University, Merrimack College and Niagara University.
In the five games, the women scored 12 goals and only let up one. Five of those 12 goals were scored by Bovardi, who has 10 total goals in the season.
Junior goaltender Kyran Thievon also took home her third Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Defensive Player of the Week award of the season.
“It feels great to win three MAAC Defensive Player of the Week awards, but it is honestly just a reflection of the entire team’s efforts,” said Thievon. “From the defense to the midfields and forwards, everyone is always giving 110% effort and defending as one unit.”
Thievon has only allowed 13 goals in 16 games this season, along with a .840 save percentage. In the five-game win streak, Thievon had 14 saves while only letting up one goal.
“Our 5-game winning streak was amazing to be a part of; the consistency we played at, regardless if we were home or away, was such a great reward for all of our hard work,” Thievon said.
Currently sitting with a 9-7-1 record with one game left in regular season, head coach Matt Micros is leading the team to a good position for the playoffs. In his eighth season as head coach, Micros has a 44-58-17 overall record and a 30-25-11 record in conference play. He is hoping to lead the team to a sixth consecutive playoff appearance.
“Coach Micros has helped us stay focused on taking everything one game at a time, and just making sure we leave everything we have out on the field when the game or practice is over,” said Thievon. “Nothing has changed too much compared to how we’ve been preparing all season, we are just looking to play our game and bring our best efforts every single day.”
The Pioneers will travel down to New Jersey for their final game of the season against St. Peter’s University. The Peacocks are 5-8-3, and their playoff hopes are dashed. A win for the Pioneers would secure the number three seed and home-field advantage for round one.
“We are preparing for Saint Peter’s just like we do for every other game,” said Thievon. “We are looking to head down there and get three points on the road.”
“It’s an important game for us, and we want to finish the regular season strong,” said Bovardi.
If the Pioneers secure the three seed for the MAAC playoffs, they could face either Marist University, Manhattan College, or Canisius University in the first round.
Athletic Communications contributed to this article.
