#18 Women's Soccer Holds Off Assumption, Prevails 2-1
NORTH ANDOVER, MA – The #18 Merrimack women's soccer team remained unbeaten with a 2-1 victory at home over Assumption Wednesday evening. The Warriors improve to 9-0-0 overall and 7-0-0 in the Northeast-10 Conference. The Greyhounds drop to 2-6-1 on the year and 0-6-1 in the league.
Katie Bresciani (Hopedale, MA) notched her fourth goal of the season in the 17th minute. Jenna Zechner (Billerica, MA) flicked a ball over the visitors' defense to spring Bresciani on a breakaway. The rookie took an early shot, slipping the ball under the goalkeeper and into the net to give Merrimack a 1-0 lead.
The Warriors took a two-goal advantage in the 26th minute as Jordan Schnopp (Dalton, MA) converted a penalty kick. The tally was Schnopp's first of the year.
Merrimack carried the 2-0 lead into the intermission. Assumption held a slight 11-9 edge in shots while the Warriors earned two corner kicks and conceded one.
The Greyhounds got a goal back early in the second frame. Katie Lydon struck a volley from the top of the penalty box that found its way into the right corner of the cage in the 50th minute.
Merrimack did not allow another goal to hang on for its ninth-consecutive win of the season.
The two teams each fired six shots in the second 45 minutes of play. Assumption earned four corner kicks in the second half to finish with a 5-3 margin.
Kiley Horne (Scituate, MA) made five saves in net for the hosts as she improved to 9-0-0 on the year. Rachel Edgin stopped six shots in goal for the visitors.
"We started the first half strongly but our play diminished late in the half," said head coach Gabe Mejail. "Our defense did a good job of buckling down to preserve the one-goal lead late in the match."
Up next, the Warriors will take on Southern N.H. at home October 1 in a Northeast-10 tilt. Merrimack will honor longtime soccer coaches Tony Martone and Gabe Mejail by renaming Warrior Field, Martone-Mejail Field in a special dedication ceremony at 11:30 am on October 1.
