The Spartan women’s soccer team was back in action looking to capitalize on a strong start, with five matches to catch you up on. They started by hitting the road to play MCLA where they exploded offensively. Senior attacker Rylee Pepin marked her first goal of the season of which we will surely see more of. With this 4-1 win over MCLA they extended their winning tendencies to a 4-2 record.

Next up they took on LEC conference opponents Rhode Island College (RIC). In a tight 1-0 win the girls took their first conference points of the year. It was a defensive battle between the two squads.

Senior defenders Maddie Lindgren and Lauren Fotter held it down on the back end, leading a defense that opponents have struggled to penetrate. Goaltender Emma Ezzo had another great showing, which is becoming a consistency for this Spartan squad. She had 10 saves for her second shutout of the season.

Maggie McKearin scored her fifth goal of the season, assisted by Alexis Billings for the winner. The two combined for four goals and 10 points between them in the two games against MCLA and RIC. The LEC recognized Alexis Billings for her offensive talents with an offensive player of the week award.

Middleburry, the number seven ranked team in the nation came to visit the Spartans on Sept 25. They played a hard-fought battle in the rain, but ultimately fell 5-0. Despite the Spartans holding off the top scorers of Middlebury, their younger players broke through and eventually took over the game. The passing and coordination of Middleburry eventually overwhelmed our girls.

The WestConn Wolves came to visit the following Saturday, another strong opponent this time in conference play. Both teams played an even first 45 minutes, locked at zeroes. The stands were fairly full for attendance, with many cheering and on the edge of their seats. At the 63-minute mark the Wolves broke through to take a lead on a ball delivered into the box and finished off by a Kelly Martyanov.

The girls fought back hard and controlled the ball well in the second half. At the 72-minute marker they drew a free kick from 40 yards out, which was lofted in beating the goalie but not the crossbar. The rebound was soared over the net, just missing their best chance of the match.

Again, their defense and goaltending were strong with Emma Ezzo recording 8 saves on 9 shots on target. Gwen Bridges, a sophomore center back played a full 90 minutes and matched the high speed of the Wolves offense well.

Sunday Sept 29, the Spartans hit the road to finish a busy stretch of play against Colby-Sawyer. This one went the way of the Chargers, in a 2-0 bout. The Spartans defense and another good effort from Emma Ezzo between the pipes were not enough to keep the Chargers off the score sheet. The offense went scoreless again, making it three straight without a tally.

“We had a bit of a rough weekend with two hard games. We struggled connecting and moving forward against tough competition but look forward to a fresh start battling back for our third conference match against Keene State on Wednesday,” said Gwen Bridges who as a sophomore has slated herself as a big part of this Spartan backbone.

The girls three game skid took them to .500, at five wins and five losses. They have a few days of practice coming up to prepare for three LEC conference match ups in their next four games. The girls look to bounce back and find their offensive groove as a strong back end continues to support them.