Women's Soccer Falls 7-0 to Saint Joseph
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
St. Joseph (Conn.) (2-1-0) | 2 | 5 | 7 |
|
Mitchell (0-1-0) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
NEW LONDON, Conn. – The Mitchell College women's soccer team opened the 2013 season with a 7-0 loss to the University of Saint Joseph on Wednesday afternoon at Alumni Field.
Dayna Gambino netted a pair of goals and added three assists to lead Saint Joseph (2-1-0 overall) on the day. Emily Burke (Windsor Locks, Conn./Windsor Locks) also chipped in with two goals and an assist—all in the second half—as the Blue Jays rolled to victory.
Saint Joseph took the early lead behind a goal from Sara Barnick in the 10th minute, her third of the season. Gambino sent a pass through the midfield that Barnick tracked down, and after cutting back past a defender she buried a shot from inside the box. Patricia Nolan then made it 2-0 in the 18th minute on a header off a cross from Katie Mirabella.
The Blue Jays led 2-0 at the half and added five goals in the final 28 minutes of the contest. Gambino scored from 25 yards out on a laser of a shot that snuck in under the crossbar in the 63rd minute, and she nabbed her second goal in the 70th off a nifty heel flick pass from Burke. Gambino also assisted on goals by Tiana Saraceno and Burke—both in the 68th minute—while Burke completed the scoring with her second of the contest with 66 ticks left on the clock.
Saint Joseph held a commanding 37-1 edge in shots and tested Mitchell goalkeepers Kaylee Woodford and Shirley Palmer throughout. Woodford finished with a game-high 11 saves while Palmer added three. Melissa Dodge wasn't tested and picked up her second shutout of the season.
Mitchell will next play at the Conn. College/CGA Women's Soccer Tournament this weekend, opening with a match against Coast Guard on Saturday, September 7 at noon on the Conn. College campus.
