The momentum from their best game of the season, a 0-0 tie with Middlebury last Saturday, was not enough to propel women’s soccer past the Connecticut College Camels. The Camels avenged last year’s 2-1 loss to Wesleyan by returning the favor in an identical 2-1 victory of their own.
All three goals came in the first half with the Camel’s Jackie Wade breaking a 1-1 tie just 1:20 before intermission in what would be the deciding goal of the game.
Although the overall team performance has improved a lot since the first few opening games of the season, the girls know they need to turn this progress into the better results if they want to make it to the NESCAC playoffs.
Cat Dickinson of Connecticut College opened the scoring in the 11th minute of the game. Wesleyan got the equalizer from Yuri Hoshino ’09 in the 41st minute.
“I was ecstatic when I scored,” said Hoshino. “It was not only my first ever collegiate goal, but it also tied the score up, giving our team a lift, and I loved seeing how happy our team got.”
Despite Hoshino’s strike, Connecticut College quickly regained the lead only 2 minutes later on Wade’s score and held the 2-1 advantage until the final whistle.
In spite of the loss, the Cardinals have found a star goalkeeper of the future in Andrea Guiliano ’09. Giuliano continued to showcase her talent in net, making a total of six saves.
Hoshino, who scored the only goal of the game for the Cardinals, thought that the technique to go defensive at the start of the game cost them.
“We assumed the role of the under dog from the beginning and that mentality conflicted with our actual playing,” she said. “It was pretty clear, to me at least, that we were the better team, but they were better prepared.”
“I think our team has great potential and ability but we go through ups and downs between each game,” Guiliano said. “I believe if we apply how well we practice and consistency to our game play, we can win the rest of our games. There is no doubt in my mind that we can win every game we play; we just need to have more confidence in our ability. We need to work together more on our transitioning from offense to defense and vice versa, if we can piece it all together, we are unstoppable, just like we were against Middlebury.”
The Cardinals, certainly in need of a win to turn around the season, will look to grab it against Mitchell College tomorrow.
“I think we are one of the better teams in the NESCAC and have immense potential, but sometimes we become mentally out of sync,” Hoshino said. “I don’t know much about Mitchell College, but I feel that our team is ready for them. We were all really disappointed after the Conn. College game, so I expect a very hard two days of practice and a lot of intensity in our next game on Wednesday. Mitchell College will be our first ‘W’ as long as we come out, from the very beginning, ready to play, mentally and physically.”
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