Two First Half Goals Lift No. 2 Mitchell College Past No. 3 Women’s Soccer In NECC Championship Semifinals
NEW LONDON, Conn. – Second-seeded Mitchell College received a pair of goals from Caley McClendon (Keene, N.H.) to help lift the Mariners to a 2-0 victory over No. 3 Elms College in the semifinals of the 2010 New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) women's soccer championship tournament at Alumni Field in New London, Conn.
With the loss, Elms concludes its season at 9-10 overall while Mitchell advances to the NECC Championship title game against the winner of No. 1 Lesley University and No. 4 Daniel Webster College on Saturday.
Twenty-five minutes into the contest, Angie Smith (Meriden, Conn.) played the ball to Leslie Briggs (Dighton, Mass.) in the corner of the field who then crossed the ball to the far post where McClendon was waiting with her first goal of the game and 10th of the season.
Five minutes later, McClendon found the back of the net for the second time when she controlled and then scored a loose ball off a deflected shot by Briggs, extending the Mariners' lead to 2-0.
Elms looked to cut into Mitchell's lead in the second half as freshmen midfielders Gianna Gorneault (Springfield, Mass.) and Allyson Witaszek (Feeding Hills, Mass.) combined for six of the Blazers' eight shots on net.
Mitchell goalkeeper Kaylee Woodford (Niantic, Conn.) kept Elms' offense off the board delivering eight saves (four in each period).
Blazers' freshman goalie Hayley Zisk (Baldwinville, Mass.) notched six saves in the losing effort.
McClendon and Briggs each finished with three shots on target in the win.
Junior forward Jennifer Killion (Cambridge, Mass.) and freshman forward Christina Goodchild (East Longmeadow, Mass.) were named to the all-tournament team.
