WPI 22sep2018

Mostly cloudy mid-teen's C/60sF - perfect soccer weather - this was WPI's second visit to Hanover. We hosted them three years ago (8:0), visited them two years ago (4:2) and they didn't have enough players to come here last fall. We noticed that they had three wins already this season, so we expected them to be good!

Julia's parents were there, and Lindsey's folks kindly transported Jenny and Namya from special Saturday classes!

Just before the game, we spoke about making quicker passes -- in case they put high pressure on us. The captains decided on 35-minute halves -- smart in light of our having three games this weekend, and one of the refs needed to get to another game after ours.

Caroline earned us a corner kick in the 1st minute, but WPI came back quickly earning two corners of their own, one cleared by Meredith Gurnee. 

We had a spell of success in the WPI third of the field. Lizzie got off a shot in the 6th minute that went wide just before Meredith G's on-target shot was blocked for a corner taken by Meredith S. Meredith G had her shot go wide a few minutes later.

Carly's corner in the 16th minute found Lizzie, whose shot was saved. Then Sophia had a shot go just high of the cross-bar, Meredith G had a shot go wide and Carly's shot went over the cross-bar.

Sophia broke the deadlock in the 20th minute with a stunningly accurate and beautiful goal from the right side of the field into the upper left side-netting of the WPI goal. Their goalkeeper, who had done so well before that, couldn't do anything about Sophia's powerful shot.

After that, WPI seemed to come alive when they earned a free kick for an infraction in our third of the field in the 28th minute and snuck the ball into the left side of our net to even the score. Only a minute later they earned another free kick taken from the right side of the field and beating us at the near post to give them a go-ahead goal.

We responded with great energy and better possession. In the 32nd minute, Carly put the ball into the WPI net from about 25 yd on the right side of the field for the equalizer. Dani and Meredith G had shots saved and Carly earned us a corner kick just before the break.

We spoke during half-time about being quicker with our passes and more diagonal (switching across the field), better communication and using the sides more instead of route-one soccer (down the middle of the field). We also sensed that our give-and-go passes disrupted their composure.

Meredith G took the game into her own hands in the opening seconds of the 2nd half by dribbling by about a half-dozen defenders and sending a pin-point accurate shot into the left side of their net for the game-winning goal.

After Izzy took a free kick in the 38th minute, Bri saved a WPI shot. Dani and Carly both had shots saved around the time that WPI got a couple free kicks.

Meredith G earned and took a free kick in the 55th minute that was on target but saved for a corner taken by Lizzie. Callie's corner was saved a few minutes later, and immediately after that Meredith G dribbled past a bunch of WPI defenders before unselfishly passing the ball to Lizzie, who put the ball in to the net but was ruled offside.

Meredith G earned and took another free kick a minute later, but it was saved. WPI got a shot off right after that but it went wide.

Namya had a shot saved before WPI got a burst of energy and sent a powerful shot at Bri who saved it just in front of our goal two minutes from time. 

WPI got off one more shot (wide) and Meredith S had a shot saved in the last minute of the game.

Their coach told me that they had just come off an away-win over UVM, so our win today had some added significance in light of UVM's great win record over the years. But our win was sweet and sour at the same time because Carly, Cate and Meredith G all suffered injuries from which we will hope for speedy recoveries.

G: Bri
CD: Tina+Julia FO'L, Katie B
OD: Katie B+Izzy, Callie+Katie R
CM: Meredith G+Sophia, Namya
OM: Caroline+Meredith S, Jenny+Cate
F: Lizzie+Dani, Carly

Shots 19:8  Saves 2:9

1 Caroline earned a corner taken by Katie B
4 WPI corners (2), one cleared by Meredith G
6 Lizzie shot wide
7 Meredith G shot blocked for a corner taken by Meredith S
14 Meredith G shot wide
16 Carly corner, Lizzie shot saved
17 Sophia shot over
18 Meredith G shot wide
19 Carly shot over
20 Sophia from the right side of the field into the upper left side-net --> 1:0
28 WPI free kick to left side of our goal --> 1:1
29 WPI free kick from right side of the field to our near post -->1:2
32 Carly from the right side of the field 2:2
34 Dani shot saved
35 Meredith G shot saved, Carly earned a corner taken by Meredith S
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36 Meredith long dribble, shot slotted on the ground, left side --> 3:2
38 Izzy free kick
39 WPI shot saved
44 WPI free kick
46 Dani shot saved
51 Carly shot saved
53 WPI free kick
55 Meredith G free kick saved for a corner taken by Lizzie
59 Callie corner saved
60 Meredith G pass to Lizzie shot into WPI net rolled offside
61 Meredith G free kick saved
62 WPI shot wide
65 Namya shot saved
68 WPI shot saved -- huge save!
69 WPI shot wide
71 Meredith S shot saved