BENNINGTON, Vt. — The Southern Vermont College women's soccer team lost a 3-1 decision on its home pitch Tuesday afternoon, falling to The Sage Colleges in non-conference play at Everett Field.
SVC scored first, less than five minutes into the match, but Sage was able to quickly tie it for a 1-1 tally at the half. The Gators went on to notch two more unanswered goals in the second while keeping the Mountaineer offense at bay to secure the victory.
Southern Vermont moves to 3-3 on the year while Sage improves to 5-2 midway through the first month of action.
Mountaineer junior Lauren Nesshoever (Chittenden, Vt.) scored the lone SVC tally on an assist from freshman Molly Madore (Higganum, Conn.) who had just been named the Eastern College Athletic Conference Division III New England Rookie of the Week prior to kickoff.
Sage freshman Samantha Trimblett (Monroe, N.Y.) had three points for the Gators, assisting on what proved to be the game-winning goal before adding an insurance notch in the 82nd minute. Sisters Ariannah and Jordyn Logan (Canajoharie, N.Y.) added a score each to help the Gators win their fourth straight game.
The Mountaineers are now off until resuming action next Tuesday, September 22 when they host New England College for a 4 p.m. non-conference start, SVC's last game before it begins the New England Collegiate Conference schedule. Sage next hosts SUNY Potsdam on Monday at 7 p.m.
It didn't take long for the scoring to start as Southern Vermont took to the board just 4:19 into the game. Nesshoever got on the end of a through pass from Madore down the right seam, going one-on-one at goal. The Sage keeper came off her line to take away the angle, something the Mountaineer junior was anticipating; Nesshoever took a touch to the left, back towards the middle of the box, and then got her shot off before the Gator defense could fully recover. The open-netter was the striker's fourth goal of the year and put her team in front early.
The Mountaineers would not hold the upper hand for long, however, with Sage tying things at 1-1 exactly five minutes later. The Gators worked the ball into the SVC end of the field, and junior Cassidy Bruen (Baldwinsville, N.Y.) was able to turn and set up her cross into the box from the left side. It went to the far end of the penalty area where Ariannah Logan controlled it, took a quick touch, and fired it back across the frame into the left netting for her first collegiate goal.
Sage had the edge in shots taken through the remaining 35 minutes of the period, but the Southern Vermont defense limited the threat as it forced a majority of those chances to be taken from outside the box. Neither side could capitalize on its opportunities as time ran out on the first half, sending the game to the break still knotted at 1-1.
The stalemate held through the first 23 minutes of the second period before the Gators took their first lead of the day. Trimblett controlled a throw-in from the right side of the field with a soft touch and, with her back to the net, hit a crossing pass with her left foot into the middle of the box. Jordyn Logan then battled through a Mountaineer defender, brought the ball to the ground and punched it home for her third of the season at the 68:09 mark.
Trimblett added to the Sage lead with her second goal of the year after the Gators won a 50/50 clear at midfield. With the ball in the right side of the box, she went back towards the center circle and turned to find herself uncontested. The freshman fired an arching shot towards the back, left post, one that was able to drop in under the bar and over the keeper's stretch to make it the eventual 3-1 difference.
Sage senior goalie Nicole Maher (Glen Cove, N.Y.) made two saves to remain undefeated on the season (4-0) while SVC sophomore Melissa Mascari (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.) stopped nine Gator shots in the loss (3-3).
