DARTMOUTH, Mass. – The UMass Dartmouth women's soccer team celebrated Senior Day with a 2-1 win over Vermont State University Castleton on Saturday afternoon in Little East Conference (LEC) action. The Corsairs earned their second league victory with the win over the Spartans who are now 3-3 in LEC play.
The Spartans kicked off the contest with four early shots in the opening 16 minutes of play featuring a save by first year goalkeeper
Tori Russo. Sophomore goalkeeper
Grace Conti then checked into the game for the Corsairs after Russo sustained an injury. Graduate student
Ashlyn Rogers fired the first shot of the afternoon for UMass Dartmouth that went high over the net and out of play.
Junior forward
Antonella Goncalves ripped a shot on frame to force the first stop of the day for Spartans goalkeeper Emma Ezzo. Shorty after, Castleton had a goal scoring opportunity as Allison Galante fired the ball on target that Conti stopped for her first save in net. UMass Dartmouth posted two of three shots on-goal in the last 10 minutes of the half while Castleton created a late scoring chance that Contin denied to keep the game level at 0-0 at the break.
Both teams exchanged shots to open the second half of the game featuring a shot on frame by sophomore
Adriana Adames and first year
Ashlyn Aguiar, both saved by Ezzo. At the 67:42 mark, Alexis Billings capitalized on a corner kick for the Spartans with her header off the assist from Becky Hannwacker to give the visitors a 1-0 edge.
UMass Dartmouth continued to battle and gain possession of the ball in Castleton's defensive third leading to a score by Goncalves to tie the game at 1-1. First year
Anna Keller tossed the ball to Goncalves off a thrown-in before lacing the ball into the top right shelf for her first collegiate goal.
The Corsairs kept applying pressure to the Spartans backline producing three more shots including another save by Ezzo. In the 85
th minute of action, Rogers lasered a deep shot that lobbed over Ezzo and nestled into the top left corner to give UMass Dartmouth a 2-1 advantage late in the contest. Conti posted a save in the final three minutes of play to preserve the Corsairs lead and cement their Senior Day victory by a final score of 2-1 from Cressy Field.
UMass Dartmouth outshot Castleton 20-15 and held a 20-6 edge in total shots on-goal. The Spartans earned five corner kicks in the game while the Corsairs had four corner kicks on the day. Castleton also committed 10 fouls in the contest compared to UMass Dartmouth with seven called fouls.
Goncalves led the Corsairs offense with her first career goal along with an assist for three points on the day. Rogers tallied her first goal as a Corsair with the game-winner along with four attempts to shoot. Adames ended the afternoon with three shots while Aguiar and sophomore
Madison Depina each recorded two shot attempts.
Conti earned her second win on the season for UMass Dartmouth after posting fours saves and allowing just one goal during 82 minutes of action. Ezzo picked up the loss in net for the Spartans producing eight stops and allowing two goals on the afternoon.
UMass Dartmouth continues LEC play on Saturday, Oct. 26 at Eastern Connecticut State University. The league tilt is slated for a 1:00 pm kickoff from Willimantic Conn.
