WENHAM, Mass. - The Hartford women's soccer team picked up their first Conference of New England (CNE) win of the season defeating Gordon College 1-0 in the conference opener. Junior Sara Rieger (Waxhaw, N.C.) was the hero scoring the winner in the 38th minute to give the visitors the win.
Rapid Recap:
- The Fighting Scots had the first chance in the 6th minute as Willow Forbes-Smith had an attempt saved by freshman Madelyn Nunnemacher (Sutton, Mass.). Nunnemacher would make another stop in the 17th minute as Gordon hunted for the lead. Hartford would get their first attempt in the 27th minute as senior Kathleen Brush (Wethersfield, Conn.) had a shot that landed comfortably for Ivy Daniel. The Hawks would break the scoring in the 28th minute as Brush sent a beatiful weighted through ball to Rieger who powered it by the keeper for the lead. Eowyn Lapp would get two shots to close the first half, but they both were wide as Hartford held the 1-0 advantage.
- Brush would try to get her own goal in the 49th minute with a great shot that was stopped by Daniel. Both teams remained physical throughout the midway point of the second half with Brush eventually getting booked in the 61st minute. Rieger almost doubled the lead in the 66th but another save from Daniel kept the Scots within reach. Brush would later hit the woodwork and senior Reese Sadler (Newington, Conn.) would add a free kick shot to draw a save, but the Hawks could not find a second with seven minutes left to play. The Scots could not get by the Hawk defense as they held another clean sheet to win 1-0.
Post Game Press:
"It felt amazing to come in and contribute to the hard work that the team was putting in", said junior
Sara Rieger (Waxham, N.C.). "The game was super physical and emotional so securing the win was important to everyone. Whether starting or not I always want to put in 110% and I'm glad to be a part of the success that led us to have a win under our belts."
Inside the Numbers:
- Rieger picked up her second goal of the season and her first game-winner for Hartford. Brush notched her first assist of the year in the win.
- Nunnemacher got her second clean sheet of the week stopping two shots in the shutout.
- Ivy Daniel would make four total saves in the loss.
- Hartford and Gordon each had 10 shots with Hartford holding a 5-2 advantage on target. The Scots had 15 fouls while the Hawks had eight in a physical contest.
Up Next:
The Hawks will enjoy a week off hosting the University of New England on September 19th with a 3:00 PM start.
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