Women’s Soccer Silences Fisher to Kick Off Season

NEW LONDON, Conn. – Freshman Morgan Fontaine (Middletown, Conn.) scored a pair of goals in her collegiate debut, powering the Mitchell College women's soccer team over Fisher College 3-0 in their 2023 season opener at home on Friday afternoon. The game was the first played by a Mitchell College athletic program as a member of the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC), which the school officially became members of in July after the New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) disbanded at the conclusion of the prior academic year.

Following 65 minutes of scoreless play, the Mariners jumped ahead after a shot by Francesca Zamarripa (Tampa, Fla.) ricocheted off the left post, landing right at the feet of the newcomer, Fontaine. Fontaine then took advantage, advancing in the crease from right to left, meeting the ball and striking with her left foot past the Fisher keeper. Just over 15 minutes later it was Fontaine once again, this time taking a feed at the top of the box from Zamarripa and making a Falcon defender miss, creating just enough room to zip it right by the goalie into right side of the net.

The Mariners closed the scoring with 2:07 remaining after freshman Haley Jeske (Maricopa, Ariz.) took possession at midfield, found Taylor Bialowas (Griswold, Conn.) streaking down the right side of the field, and let the sophomore go to work. Bialowas then used her speed to outrun an approaching defender before getting off a shot at the top of the box, the third goal of the day for the home team.

The victory marked the first time the Mitchell women's soccer program has opened up a season with a victory since 2011, and the three goals were the most scored in a first game of the season by the Mariners since a 3-0 win against Anna Maria College in September of 2010.

Fontaine paced the Mariners with eight shots, five of them on goal, while Bialowas, Jeske, and Cassandra Roman (New London, Conn.) each registered two shots. After holding a meager two shot advantage over the Falcons at halftime, Mitchell went on to outshoot the visiting squad 16-7.

Mitchell keeper Gemma Landry (Lewiston, ME) picked up her first shutout of the season, making six saves in the net.

Kelly Wallace led the Fisher attack, finishing with five shots, four on goal, both team-high figures, and junior goalkeeper Olivia Leo recorded three saves for visiting squad.

The Mariners (1-0-0) will return to action with a non-conference matinee when they host the Bulldogs of Brooklyn College on Sunday, September 3, at 1:00 pm.