By Aaron Rodenhausen
Sports Editor
The Shorewomen played their first two games of the 2025 season this week with mixed results. After a narrow away victory against Widener University to open the year up, the Shorewomen struggled at home with seventh-ranked Misericordia University.
The WC team played first against Widener University on Aug. 29 in Lewisburg, PA; it was the season opener for both teams. Senior midfielder Maddy Gaydon made the opening shot of the match for the College only 16 seconds in, but her attempt went wide left. The hosting Pride made the first shot on goal of the game 21 minutes in, but junior goalkeeper Olivia Allen successfully blocked it. The Shorewomen made their first shot on goal less than a minute before halftime, but Widener managed to block junior defender Grace Morris’ attack.
The Shorewomen took nine of the first twelve shots in the second half, but both teams remained scoreless. The 0-0 tie was finally broken when, in the final four minutes of the match, junior forward Sophie Kilbride stole a clearing attempt from the Pride and scored from 25 yards back. The Shorewomen’s defense blocked Widener’s last attempt at a tie, and the tense game went 1-0 to WC.
The decisive score made for an invigorating start to the season for the Shorewomen.
“The best moment of the game was Sophie Kilbride’s goal in the last four minutes of the game,” Allen said. “It reflected the hard work and finding a way to win.”
The next match came on Aug. 31, when the Shorewomen faced off against the seventh-ranked Misericordia Cougars at home. Unlike the last game, it did not take long for one of the teams to score; Misericordia took the first goal a mere four minutes into the first half. The Shorewomen unleashed a retaliatory barrage on the Cougars’ goal a few minutes later, but neither Gaydon nor senior midfielder Bridget Whiteside could clear the defense.
The next goal did not come until the second half, when the Misericordia scored once again. The Shorewomen’s only other shot before the game’s end went high, but they did prevent the visiting team from scoring again. The 2-0 loss tempered WC’s seasonal momentum from its first victory.
The Shorewomen will have a chance to regain that energy soon, but for now, the team is focused on the insight gained from these first games.
“This was our first real 90-minute game, so it’s the first time to really get an idea of what works and what doesn’t for us,” Allen said. “I think going into our next match, we will be looking to find more creative and dynamic ways to break pressing lines.”
Next, the team will travel to Salisbury, MD to play the Seagulls of Salisbury University on Sept. 3, and will return home to face off against Stevenson University on Sept. 6.
Photo Courtesy of WC Athletics
Photo Caption: The Shorewomen opened up the 2025 season with four away games this weekend.