By Dominic Rapposelli
Sports Editor
Washington College had a successful weekend of soccer on Oct 26. The men’s and women’s teams are both staying alive in the playoff hunt.
The Shorewomen bested the visiting Muhlenberg College Mules 2-0, while the Shoremen played to a scoreless draw with the Mules.
The Shorewomen
The first game of a Saturday athletics triple-header was Shorewomen soccer at 1 p.m.
WC had an early chance to score as senior midfielder Kayla Streett sent a shot towards the opposing goal, only for it to be deflected away. Sophomore forward and Elm Opinion Editor Sophie Kilbride traced down the loose ball and also attempted to score, before the Mules followed through on another defensive save.
In the 43rd minute of play, WC saw another critical opportunity with sophomore forward Gina Phillips taking a pass from Streett and converting the opportunity into a goal for the Shorewomen. Phillips cashed in on her fourth goal of the season, while Streett added her second assist. The Shorewomen would take the 1-0 lead into the halftime break.
“First and foremost, it’s a privilege to simply be a part of such a hard-working team and dedicated group of girls. Additionally, I am beyond fortunate to be in a position where I can lead and help the team in any way I can,” Streett said.
The second half saw WC secure another late goal to put the game on ice for the visiting Mules. A rare double assist propelled junior forward Maddy Gaydon to a second Shorewomen goal.
Junior midfielder Bridget Whiteside saw a shot deflected back to Kilbride, who sent the ball to Gaydon for the score.
Another milestone occurred for the Shorewomen as sophomore goalkeeper Olivia Allen dealt another shutout, her tenth of the season and a Centennial Conference best. She also went mostly untested due to the Shorewomen defense, only picking up one save.
“We are taking it one game at a time, focusing on the little things, and enjoying time together as a team. We have a really exciting opportunity in front of us, we just need to focus what we can control now,” Gaydon said.
The Shoremen
The Shoremen are continuing to play for one of the top spots in the Centennial Conference playoffs. They were coming off a 1-0 loss at hands of the seventeenth-ranked Johns Hopkins University Blue Jays.
The Shoremen gave up a penalty kick late in the contest, which the Blue Jays were able to convert into the contest’s lone score.
The Shoremen did battle with the Mules under the lights of Roy Kirby Jr. Stadium at 7 p.m following the Shorewomen’s victory. The game was fairly back and forth, with the Mules outshooting the Shoremen 19-4. However, WC could not put a single shot on target.
The heroes of the contest for WC proved to be fifth-year goalkeeper Anthony Pinto and senior defenseman Sebastian Linares.
Pinto picked up four games in his final regular season home game with the Shoremen.
Linares made a pair of sliding efforts defensively to stall out the Mules from moving into scoring position.
Senior Forward Katim Njie had the closest chance to score, sending a header just right of the goal.
Junior midfielder Tyler Davisdon led the Shoremen with a pair of shots in the contest.
Both the Shoremen and Shorewomen will finish the regular season on the road, visiting the Franklin and Marshall College Diplomats on Nov. 2.
The Shorewomen control their own destiny, as winning their last two games will propel them to the playoffs. A loss or two ties would all but eliminate the squad, while a draw would require outside help.
The Shoremen will fight for the second place spot in the Centennial Conference playoffs, hoping for a first-roundbye and home-field advantage in the postseason
“We try to keep a mentality that the next game is the most important regardless of how we did the game before or who we play the game after. We just have to take it one game at a time and control the things that we can control,” Streett said.
Photo by Darius Kesey.
Photo Caption: Junior defender Dahlia Kuzemka secured her first career assist earlier this season against Gettysburg.