By Jack Poleto
Sports Editor
Washington College women’s soccer came back from a loss against the Salisbury University Seagulls to beat Hood College on Saturday, Sept. 9.
The Shorewomen played their best game of the season, following a 85-minute rain delay, as they beat out the Blazers 2-0, showcasing their new freshman talent in their second home game.
Four of the home team’s 11 starters were first-year student-athletes at WC, with freshman goalkeeper Olivia Allen playing all 90 minutes. Five others were substituted in throughout regulation time.
Seasoned veterans on the team were also able to showcase their talents with senior forward Audrey Flanagan and junior midfielder Kayla Streett both recording four shots on goal.
Their first goal of the game came almost immediately in the second minute from freshman forward Gina Phillips, thanks to an assist from junior forward Reagan Longridge, recording her first goal of her college career. This was Longridge’s second assist of the week, earning her Shorewoman of the week.
WC’s dominance carried throughout the entire game with their offense pressing hard on the Blazers.
In the seventy-first minute of Saturday’s game, senior defender Grace Kelley weaved through the Blazers’ defenders to score off a header, guiding the ball right over the opposing keeper’s head and securing the Shorewomen’s shutout of Hood College. The assist came from an emerging star on the young team, freshman forward Sophie Kilbride.
“Hood only had two shots the entire game, so that really goes to show how much of the ball we had, meaning that every individual player executed their job well,” Kelley said.
According to her, this led to an increase in opportunites for the Shorewomen including the 22 shots the team took throughout the 90 minutes of regulation time.
In last year’s game against the Blazers, WC fell short of their goal and tied at 0-0 after a scrappy game. According to Kelley, many of her teammates who had played in that game were happier with this outcome.
“We are finally connecting and possessing in the final third, which is key to scoring goals,” Kelley said, “you can never score too many goals… [those opportunities] are going to help us come conference-play.”
The Shorewomen play their next game on the road against the Dickinson Red Devils in Carlisle, Pa. on Sept. 16 at 6 p.m.
Photo caption: Freshman forward Gina Phillips scores her first career goal against Hood College.
Photo courtesy of WC Athletics