BOSTON, Mass. – The Simmons College women's soccer team was edged in double overtime, 2-1, by visiting Emmanuel College today in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference match on Winsor Field in Boston, Mass. The Saints improve to 7-8-0 overall and 5-3-0 in league play, while the Sharks' three-match win streak comes to an end as they fall to 6-6-2 and 5-3-0.
Simmons owned a 21-17 shot advantage, including 17-7 on net.
Sophomore midfielder Courtney Freadman (Richmond, Mass.) had just entered the second overtime as a substitute with four and a half minutes to play for Emmanuel when first year forward Hailey Longbottom (Princeton, Mass.), who subbed in at the same time, found her streaking down the left side of the field. Freadman settled the ball and lifted a shot from the top left corner of the box that was destined for the far right post. The ball ricocheted off the upper post and into the back of the net for the game-winning score.
The Sharks got on the board first in the opening half when junior midfielder Ali Berkman (Natick, Mass.) lifted a cross from behind midfield that classmate Greer Gilbert (Falmouth, Mass.) got under and carried down the middle of the field, before sending a shot into the right corner for her sixth goal of the season. Simmons owned a 1-0 edge with 16:30 gone in the period. There was no other scoring as the teams hit the break with the Sharks leading by the goal.
The Saints tied the contest when junior forward Hannah Konicki (Milford, Conn.) lifted a shot from 20 yards out on the left side that sailed out of the reach of the Simmons keeper and into the upper right corner of the net to make it 1-1. The marker at 63:18 of the second half ended a span of 338:34 minutes of play that the Sharks had not allowed a goal.
Simmons looked poised to take the lead late in the second half as Gilbert ripped a shot in the box on a breakaway with under two minutes to play, but junior back Ari Cardillo (Richmond, Mass.) blocked the attempt to keep it a tie game. Simmons had another opportunity midway through the first overtime when first year forward Kashka Gammon (Nashua, N.H.) looked to score in the box, but the Emmanuel keeper came off her line to intercept the shot.
First year keeper Victoria Laroche (Hudson, N.H.) was outstanding in net for the Saints, making a career-high 16 saves to earn the victory, while junior Briana Hayes' (Manorville, N.Y.) streak of three straight shutouts came to an end in the five-save effort for the Sharks.
Simmons will be in action again on Sunday, October 19 when it hosts GNAC foe Suffolk University at 11:00 a.m. on Winsor Field, while Emmanuel hosts University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) on October 18 at 1:00 p.m. on Clemente Field in league play.