Women's Soccer Shuts Down Wildcats

BOSTON, MA - The Wheelock College women's soccer team opened New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) play on Saturday at Winsor Field against Becker College, falling by a 4-0 count. The Wildcats are 0-8, while the Hawks improved to 4-6 overall and 2-0 in the league. Junior Alexandra Chiesa (Medford, MA/Medford) made 12 saves for the hosts. Sophomore Caroline Plunkett (Rockaway, NY/St. Francis Prep) scored twice while adding an assist for Becker, and freshman Christina Boucher (Pawcatuck, CT/Stonington) had a pair of stops in nearly 78 minutes of action to earn the victory. Becker got on the board early in the contest, as Plunkett sent a through ball that sprung a breakaway for sophomore Vanessa Laureano (Dracut, MA/Dracut), who hit the upper right corner at 2:58. A little more than two minutes later, Chiesa kept it 1-0, diving to her left for a fingertip save that pushed the ball wide of the right post with a Becker player providing pressure. Junior Adriana Perry's (Holbrook, MA/South Shore Charter Public School) 22nd-minute free kick from 30 yards was sent on goal with Wheelock looking to tie, and Chiesa made another stop on a Plunkett breakaway just seconds later. In the 28th minute, freshman Stephanie Isabelle (Granby, MA/Granby) dropped off a pass on the right side of the box for Perry, who pushed another tying attempt high and wide from 20 yards away. Plunkett made it 2-0 at 35:08, driving a close-range shot into the upper netting, but Chiesa continued to keep her team close by rushing out of the net amid pressure in the 37th minute and tracking down a loose ball following a cross, corralling the ball with one hand. In the second half, senior Nicole Zina (Bristol, RI/Our Lady of Fatima) nearly broke the Wildcats on the board, but a close-range shot near the right post went wide in the 49th minute. Junior Allison Rogers (Millbury, MA/Millbury) followed a Perry 57th-minute corner kick with a header that was pushed wide left. With the hosts still down 2-0, sophomore Sarah McCaffrey (East Taunton, MA/Taunton) sent a long ball that took a high bounce in the penalty area, forcing Boucher to make a play with Rogers applying tight pressure. Plunkett scored again at 71:26, tallying from a tough angle near the right side of the end line with Chiesa sliding out of her net, and the Hawks were aided by an own goal 3:38 later following a 76th-minute corner kick.