Sharks Soccer Shuts Out Wildcats

BOSTON, Mass. -- Simmons soccer scored with 45 seconds remaining the first half and added another in the second to defeat the Johnson and Wales Wildcats, 2-0 in Great Northeast Athletic Conference action Monday evening.

BOSTON, Mass. -- Simmons soccer scored with 45 seconds remaining the first half and added another in the second to defeat the Johnson and Wales Wildcats, 2-0 in Great Northeast Athletic Conference action Monday evening.

The Sharks dominated from the start, outshooting the Wildcats (4-9, 3-5 GNAC) 24-8 in the first half. Justine Beauchamp (Exeter, N.H.) posted three quick shots on goal but Cassie Collins came up big for the Wildcats to keep the game scoreless. Junior Desh Perera (Reading, Mass.) tested Collins again, serving up a cross into the box to Keri Acheson (Peabody, Mass.) who headed the ball just wide of the net.

Elizabeth Marinaro, Brittney Carty and Kayla Sypek all tested Simmons netminder Amber Verrill (Windham, Maine) and the Sharks defense but were unable to convert. The first half looked like it would remain in a stalemate until Sharks freshman Greer Gilbert (Falmouth, Mass.) dribbled the ball down the right side and slipped a pass through the Wildcats defense to senior Ally Ayotte (Litchfield, N.H.), who drilled the ball past Collins to give the Sharks a 1-0 lead into halftime.

The Wildcats came out strong in the second, with both teams posting 11 shots. Nicole Petrone sent a ball just wide of the Sharks net at 46:39 before Beauchamp picked up the ball in transition with a feed to Alma-Lynn Dupont (Bowling Green, Ohio) that went just wide. Beauchamp played the corner kick for the Sharks which found Acheson in the box for the header past Collins to double the Sharks lead.

At 69:31 Siobain McIlvain forced Verrill to come out of her net to make the save and protect the Sharks shutout. Maggie Castle and Alyson Marsden both tested Verrill in the final minute but were denied as the Sharks moved to 7-6 overall and 6-3 in the GNAC.

Amber Verrill posted her first complete collegiate shutout in the win, posting 10 saves, while Collins recorded 16 saves in the loss.

The Sharks return to action on Wednesday, October 10th when they travel to GNAC rival Emmanuel College for a 7:00 p.m. start. The Wildcats host Salve Regina on the same date at 6:30 p.m.