PAXTON, Mass. – Simmons soccer (2-9-1, 1-6 GNAC) was defeated by Anna Maria College (5-5-1, 2-4-1 GNAC) in Great Northeast Athletic Conference action on a cold and rainy Wednesday night.
The Amcats did not waste any time going towards the Sharks defense with three corner kick opportunities in the first five minutes of play. Simmons' offense got started early with senior Liv Shaw recording a shot towards goal in the fifth minute. From that point on, Anna Maria would keep pushing to score but Marita Nothacker would quickly stop their offensive attacks, notching six saves in the first half.
However, the Sharks defense was unable to hold off the Amcats for too long. In the 43rd minute, Anna Maria's Abrianna Morgan scored their first goal of night with an assist from DeAnna Baker.
Simmons came out of the locker room ready to start their comeback in the second half. It started with junior Sydney Neumuth firing a shot towards Anna Maria goalkeeper Alice Yokabaskas. Once again, the Amcats quickly shut down the Sharks' momentum with back-to-back goal in just two minutes.
Down by three goals, Simmons didn't even think about putting their heads down. They put all their focus in just getting one goal on the board so they could have a chance at coming back.
That intense focus resulted in a corner kick that turned into a goal in the 57th minute, coming from first-year Julia Rodgers, with the first collegiate tally of her career. The hope of more goals was starting to feel more real as the Sharks tried a few shots on goal, but nothing would fall for them.
Simmons Highlights
- Junior goalkeeper Marita Nothacker had eight saves.
- First-year Julia Rodgers scored the lone goal for the Sharks, unassisted, marking her first goal of her collegiate career.
Up Next
Simmons returns to Daly Field on Saturday, October 8 for a 1 p.m. tilt against Colby-Sawyer on Senior Day.