Women's Soccer Falls in Conference Opener
Eastern Nazarene tallies three times in the second half, en route to a 3-0 win; Jess Gardner makes four saves
BOSTON, Mass. – Sophomore Jules Speno (Hopewell Junction, N.Y.) tallied a pair of second half goals and freshman Kristen Farley (Westminster, Mass.) earned her first collegiate shutout with a five-save performance as the Eastern Nazarene women's soccer team earned its first win of the 2012 campaign with a 3-0 win over Wentworth in the Commonwealth Coast Conference opener for both teams. The win was the first for the Lions on Sweeney Field in nine tries.
The Lions had a pair of scoring chances in the opening minutes of play, but Leopard senior keeper Jess Gardner (Wilbraham, Mass.) turned aside an initial shot and a shot off a rebound. Both teams would have four shots in the opening stanza but the score remained deadlocked at 0-0.
Speno tallied her first of the game when she was fed a pass from classmate Amelia Gonzales (Ballston Spa, N.Y.) and made a long run before beating Gardner to the left side at 48:45. Less than six minutes later she gave the visitors a 2-0 lead when she connected off a pass from junior Erin Daley (Byfield, Mass.) and hit a shot from the left side of the box.
Eastern Nazarene rounded out the scoring at the 74:16 mark freshman Lauren Avery (Colrain, Mass.) went in on a breakaway and beat Gardner, who had come out to play the ball.
Farley made three of her five saves in the second half, while Gardner make four saves in 77:43 of action. Freshman Miranda Stuckey (Lafayette, Ind.) saw her first collegiate action and played the final 12:17.
With the win Lions improve to 1-5-0 overall and 1-0-0 in CCC play. Eastern Nazarene is at Regis on Tuesday. Wentworth falls to 1-3-1 overall and 0-1-0 in league play. The Leopards are at Emmanuel on Monday night.