Mitchell College Sports Roundup

Mitchell College faced the University of Southern Vermont in two games on Sunday, and each school came away with a win. At Lesley University, the Mariners couldn't stave off a sweep in women's tennis. The following information was provided by David Longolucco, sports information director at Mitchell College, and Ryan McCarthy, sports information director at Lesley University.

Women's Soccer: Mitchell 5, Southern Vermont 0

Five different players scored goals as the Mitchell College women’s soccer team picked up a 5-0 victory over Southern Vermont College on Sunday afternoon at Alumni Field.

The Mariners (3-1-0 overall, 1-0-0 NECC) netted a season-high five goals in their first conference match of the season. Mitchell held a 30-1 advantage in shots for the contest and didn’t face a single shot on goal.

Senior Angie Smith (Meriden, Conn./Platt) recorded the game-winning tally in the fourth minute, her first goal of the season. A foul by the Mountaineers yielded a free kick that, after a touch by junior Rebecca Tabak (North Haven, Conn./North Haven), Smith blasted off the crossbar and into the goal.

The Mariners scored two more goals before the halftime whistle. Freshman Madeline Crow (Rockville, Md./Quince Orchard) found the back of the net in the 24th minute for her team-leading third goal of the season, and classmate Maariyah Lombardo (Middletown, Conn./Middletown) followed with her second goal of the year in the 26th minute.

Mitchell dominated possession in the second half and continued to assault the goal. Sophomore Nina Giansanti (Montville, Conn./Montville) notched her first career goal on a header off a corner kick by Smith in the 51st minute to make it 4-0. The final goal came on a penalty kick by senior Shannen Pelletier (Coventry, R.I./Coventry) in the 79th minute.

Catrina Cecchini (Montville, Conn.) made eight stops in goal for the Mountaineers. Mitchell sophomore Kaylee Woodford (Niantic, Conn./Morgan School) earned her second shutout of the season.

Mitchell will next take a break from NECC play to host UMass Dartmouth on Wednesday, September 28 at 3:30 p.m. Southern Vermont returns to action at home against Mills College on Thursday, September 29 at 4 p.m.

Men's Soccer: Southern Vermont 3, Mitchell 2

The Mitchell College men’s soccer team couldn’t rally back from a two-goal first half deficit in a 3-2 loss to Southern Vermont College on Sunday afternoon at Alumni Field.

Nick Haggerty (Wyantskill, N.Y./Averill Park) scored two goals—including the game winner in the 56th minute—to lead the Mountaineers (5-3-0 overall, 2-0-0 NECC). Junior Howie Johnson (New London, Conn./New London) and freshman Jason Kirby (Cresskill, N.J./Cresskill) each scored for the Mariners (2-4-1 overall, 0-1-0 NECC), who lost for the first time at home this season.

Haggerty netted his first goal of the day in the 25th minute off a feed from Chris Hansen (Raymertown, N.Y./Tamarac). He took the shot from the left side and hooked it into the lower-left corner to put the Mountaineers up 1-0. Nearly six minutes later, a Mitchell foul inside the box gave Southern Vermont a penalty shot that Erik Argueta (Pico Rivera, Calif./El Rancho) converted for the 2-0 lead.

Trailing 2-0 at the half, Mitchell wasted little time getting a goal back in the second stanza. Johnson scored just 2:13 into the second half to cut the deficit to one. The Mariners played a corner kick into the box that deflected off the SVC keeper and was finished off by Johnson. It was his first goal of the season.

The Mountaineers went ahead 3-1 at the 55:59 mark on a sequence that began with a pass by Hansen to Pierre Massena (Wayne, N.J./Wayne) in the corner. Massena then dribbled along the end line and centered a pass to Haggerty, who was waiting near the far post to deposit his second goal of the game and team-leading eighth of the season.

Mitchell got a goal back in the 69th minute on a laser by Kirby. He sliced his way through the SVC defense and unleashed a shot into the top-right corner from outside the 18-yard box for his first career goal.

The Mariners recorded six shots over the final 20 minutes and put three on goal, but keeper Connor Anniello (Scotland, Conn./Windham Tech) was up to the task each time. He finished with six saves in the contest while senior Kevin Woodford (Niantic, Conn./Morgan School) also made six stops for Mitchell.

Mitchell returns to action at Regis College on Saturday, October 1 at 2:30 p.m. Southern Vermont will next play at SUNY Cobleskill on Tuesday, September 27 at 4 p.m.

Women's Tennis

The first-place Lynx improved to 3-0 in New England Collegiate Conference play with a 9-0 sweep of visiting Mitchell College Sunday afternoon at Nicholas Athletics Center.

Michelle and Katie Side (Miller Place, NY/Rocky Point) picked up a first doubles victory in two sets, improving to 3-1 as a tandem, and the team of Nicole Smith (Rindge, NH/Dublin School) and Brenna Donovan (Hingham, MA/Hingham) stayed perfect at 3-0 in second doubles play with an 8-1 win as Lesley won for a third straight match.

In singles play, Donovan improved to 3-0 on the year by besting Jaimee Topkin (New London, CT/New London), 6-0, 6-2, in fourth doubles. Katie Side also moved to 3-0 in 2011 with a 6-0, 6-1 win over Julie Embley (Lawrenceville, NJ/Allentown).

Lesley's Emily Scolaro (Peabody, MA/Peabody) also picked up wins in fifth singles and third doubles.

At 3-1 on the season, Lesley returns to action on Wednesday at Bay Path College.