The GW women’s soccer team’s defense of its home field fell apart late in its Atlantic 10 games over the weekend as GW fell to UMass and Rhode Island.
GW (2-11, 2-3 A-10) gave up five second-half goals in the two games as its opponents escaped with road victories. The Colonial women have been outscored 21-3 in the second half this season.
GW finds itself locked in a four-way tie for sixth place in the A-10 standings and looks to regroup next weekend as the team travels to St. Bonaventure and Duquesne. Following their road trip, the Colonial women will host their final four A-10 games of the season.
URI 4, GW 2
Sunday, Oct. 10
Rhode Island (9-5, 2-3 A-10) scored three second-half goals at South Riding Field Sunday defeating GW 4-2 and spoiling an outstanding effort by GW’s Kesha Christoph. The sophomore midfielder scored two first-half goals on a rain-soaked field, giving GW a 2-1 halftime lead.
The Rams struck first in the match when Shannon Kittleson scored the first of her two goals in the 10th minute. Christoph responded for GW, netting the team’s first goal in the 29th minute on a pass from teammate Tiffany Williams. Christoph struck again in the 39th minute sneaking a shot past the Rams’ goalkeeper Kate Hirsch for her fourth goal of the season.
But GW’s domination of the first half was spoiled when Rhode Island’s goal in the 62nd minute changed the momentum. Thirteen minutes later, Kittleson scored her second goal of the game as she beat GW goalkeeper Shannon Ashfield, who tallied four saves in the contest. The Colonial women’s defense gave up a final goal in the 78th minute to Rhode Island’s Stephanie Boisvert, clinching the Rams’ victory.
GW’s offense recorded season-high totals with 16 shots and six corner kicks in the match. The Colonial women also outfouled the Rams 10-3.
UMass 2, GW 1
Friday, Oct. 8
The Minutewomen’s Cindy Carceau scored on a diving header in the 79th minute of a tied soccer match, giving visiting UMass (6-2-1, 4-0 A-10) a 2-1 win at South Riding Field.
Friday’s match was scoreless at halftime despite GW’s midfield domination of UMass. The Minutewomen jumped out to an early second-half lead when Kara Green shot a 13-yard shot past Ashfield in the 53rd minute.
The Colonial women’s competitive efforts paid off in the 75th minute when senior Malynda Nichol scored the game-tying goal. Nichol, who also recorded a yellow caution card in the 59th minute, scored on a 25-yard shot for her second goal of the season. The shot bounced through traffic in front of the goal and went past the screened UMass goalkeeper, Angie Napoli.
But Katelyn Jones’ 35-yard free kick found Carceau six yards from the goal and the UMass forward did the rest, shocking the host Colonial women, who were minutes away from overtime.
UMass outshot GW 15-8 and remained undefeated in conference play with its fourth straight A-10 win. The Colonial women have been outshot 237-99 this season.
