The women’s soccer team emerged from its match Wednesday with a win that it could be proud of, shutting out Smith College 2-0 on Jackson Field.
While the Cards’ veteran midfield provided a backbone for almost constant offensive pressure over the course of the contest’s 90 minutes, it was the team’s freshman players who put Wesleyan on the scoreboard, and kept Smith off it.
Haley Baron ’12 and Emma Nitzberg ’12 were the goal-scorers of the afternoon, while keeper Clare Colton ’12 went home from her first career start with not only a win, but also a shutout, making two key saves to blank the Pioneers. The action got underway early, as the team gained and held possession for most of the first half.
Wesleyan’s first good look on goal came in the 15th minute, when a well-placed corner kick found the boot of Nitzberg. The freshman forward put a strong volley on, but Smith goalie Lauren Bachtel stepped in and made the save. Just five minutes later Sam Blank ’09, a constant offensive threat throughout the afternoon, blasted a howitzer from the edge of the box that seemed destined for net. The shot, however, had just a little too much on it, and deflected off the top right crossbar, leaving Smith with only its lucky stars to thank for an even slate after 45 minutes.
The tie did not last very long, however, as Wesleyan got on the board just 11 minutes into the second half. The score came courtesy of the Cards’ Bay Area connection, as Cora Lautze ’11 put a beauty of a cross into the box from deep on the right wing, finding her fellow San Fran native Haley Baron ’12 for an extremely impressive goal.
The team struck again late in the second half, as Hillary Biggs ’12 and Marissa Trevisan ’09 employed clever touches on the left wing to set up Nitzberg, who buried her shot and sealed the win for the Cardinals.
One last bit of excitement came in the closing minutes of the game when forward Dasha Battelle ’11 put a shot on from way outside the box, hitting the crossbar and bouncing straight down. While eyewitnesses claim the ball clearly crossed the line, the referee didn’t have a good vantage point and ruled no goal.
Two goals were good enough for the Cardinals, however, as Smith failed to capitalize on a few defensive lapses late in the second half. The victory improved the squad’s record to 2-0-1 overall, its best start since its legendary 1993 season.
“The defense posting a shutout and the offense scoring two goals pieced everything together for a great win over Smith,” Colton said after the game. “If we can continue to string wins together, we are in the works of having a great season.”
The Cards continue their campaign Saturday, hitting the road to take on the Middlebury Panthers, a team they haven’t beaten in over a decade.
Leave a Reply