ROCHESTER, N.Y. – Roberts Wesleyan College women's soccer coach Sarah McClellan spent a good portion of the early part of this season tweaking her team's lineup in search of the proper combination.
She seemed to find it on the first weekend of October.
The Redhawks, who started the fall 0-7-1 have won seven straight matches and earned their first East Coast Conference Tournament berth since 2016. Fourth-seeded Roberts, who went 6-3 in ECC play, plays at top-seeded Molloy (15-2, 8-1 ECC) in a semifinal match at 6 p.m. Thursday.
One of the keys to the Redhawks' run has been the stability provided by senior center backs Haley Cole and Makenzie Muoio, who have a combined seven-and-a-half seasons of starting experience.
In addition to being proven leaders on the field for Roberts, Cole and Muoio are housemates and close friends off the pitch.
"I think that our off-the-field friendship helps us on the field," Cole said. "If something happens on the field, we can talk about it at home and work it out."
"We have that trust, and we have that bond," Muoio said. "She knows that I will do everything in my power, and I know that she will do everything in her power to not let that ball go near the net."
Roberts has outscored its opponents 25-3 during its run as sophomore Nicolette Knauf has solidified her play and earned the trust of her teammates. Knauf has a 1.20 goals-against average, .754 save percentage and four shutouts while starting all 15 matches this fall.
"Nicolette has made a huge impact for us this year," Cole said. "She steps up when one of us falls down."
"I do think that they are very confident with Nicolette back there, which allows them to keep possession and not worry about losing the ball," McClellan said. "They need to be playing high IQ soccer and be communicative."
As center backs, Muoio and Cole are responsible for seeing the entire field and making sure the Redhawks are properly aligned. They need to be properly positioned so that they can help their teammates do the same.
"My head is always on a swivel," Muoio said. "I always need to know where the ball is. Coach has told me since freshman year that you shouldn't be physically tired after a game, but you should be mentally exhausted."
And you need to talk. And talk. And talk.
"Coach has been drilling into our heads for four years that communication is the key to soccer," Cole said. "Mo and I are outspoken people anyway, so we are not afraid to speak up."
A good portion of the Redhawks' offense actually starts with the defense, whether it be chipping over the top to capitalize on the speed of leading scorer Abigail Sindoni (9 goals) or turning an error by the opponent into a counterattack.
"As far as getting the ball forward, they have to consider the game management of time and score and where the momentum is," McClellan said. "It is based on the opponent and what is available. You have to be tactically acute."
The Redhawks have gotten contributions across the board during their recent run. Gabrielle Ciambella has scored four goals and StevieLyn Diggory and Sydney Regan have both contributed three goals and three assists. Justine Sharda, Maia Lavigne and Morgan Razzano have anchored the midfield.
Roberts has gained confidence while earning its way into the postseason and all associated with the team know it will take an inspired effort against a Molloy team that defeated the Redhawks 4-0 on Sept. 18.
"They are a very solid team in every position," McClellan said of the Lions. "They don't have any holes, they are well-conditioned from the season and they have a couple of technically skilled players that are a handful."