By Dominic Rapposelli
Sports Editor
Washington College women’s soccer picked up their first wins since Sept. 1, with a pair of victories over Bryn Mawr College on Sept. 25 and Stevenson University on Sept. 28. Their triumph over the Bryn Mawr Owls gives the Shorewomen a 1-0 start to Centennial Conference action.
The first half of the game was uneventful from both sides, except a few shots from the Shorewomen. Senior forward Regan Longridge took the first shot of the contest, which was saved by the goalie. Sophomore forward and Elm Opinion Editor Sophie Kilbride rattled off the only other shot in the game’s first 10 minutes, sailing wide right.
WC had a pair of chances off corner kicks late in the first half. Longridge once again had a scoring opportunity, but was unable to find the back of the net, along with fifth-year defender Amity Harrington, who took the final shot of the first half. The teams took a 0-0 draw into the intermission.
After the break, senior midfielder Kayla Streett scored the lone goal in the contest, following an assist from junior forward Maddy Gaydon. The Owls could not get a shot away until the 80th minute, when they had two shots over three minutes, both of which were saved by sophomore goalkeeper Olivia Allen.
Vanquishing a Conference rival early helps put WC in a good spot, as wins within the Centennial are what matters for postseason standing.
“Every game on our schedule is important to us. It will be critical that we get results against conference teams so we can reach our team goals,” Gaydon said.
The Shorewomen took care of business in another road affair against the Mustangs of Stevenson University. WC outshot their hosts 23-9 on their way to a 3-0 victory.
Streett put WC on the board first with her second goal of the week. Her score came in the seventh minute of action.
Sophomore forward Gina Phillips took a pass from Kilbride and scored the second goal of the first half. The Shorewomen would not score again until the 71st minute of gameplay, when sophomore midfielder Kaileigh Brady added her third goal of the season and the third goal of the night for WC.
Playing well on both sides of the ball will help WC both get leads early, as well as hold onto those leads and secure more victories later in the season.
“Going into my last year, I am looking forward to getting another chance to clinch a playoff spot. We have the talent, but we have to perform like we are capable of on game days,” Harrington said.
The last two road wins show what the Shorewomen are capable of early in Centennial Conference play, sitting at 4-1-4 overall, including 1-0 in Conference play. WC will travel to Collegeville, Pa. to take on Conference rival Ursinus College on Oct. 5.
Photo by Ella Humphreys.
Photo Caption: The Shorewomen have won their last two games, including their centennial conference opener over Bryn Mawr College.