CHICOPEE, Mass. – The Plymouth State University women's soccer team defeated the Elms College Blazers, 5-1, in non-conference action at Leary Field on Tuesday night.
In a game full of firsts for the Panthers, seniors
Piper Sullivan (Laconia, N.H.) and
Emily McDonough (Peabody, Mass.), and junior
Emily Olsen (Freeport, Maine) all scored their first goals of the season in the first 45 minutes of play to provide a comfortable 3-0 first half scoreline.
Freshman
Maggie MacDonald (Pembroke, Mass.) put home the Panthers' fourth goal in the 86th minute on an assist by Sullivan to stop all comeback hopes by the Blazers, and the pair connected again in the 90th minute as Sullivan tagged her second goal on an assist from MacDonald.
Adding to the scoreline were senior
Molly Bellmore (Hebron, Conn.) and freshman
Islah Godo (Topsham, Maine), who each registered an assist on the evening.
It was the first meeting between the two teams as the Plymouth State walked off with a comfortable win.
Plymouth State improves to 4-4-0, while Elms moves to 5-3-0.
The Basics:
- Plymouth State 5, Elms 1
- Plymouth State (4-4-0)
- Elms (5-3-0)
How it Happened:
- Plymouth State opened the scoreline in the 11th minute when Piper struck a ball past the diving goalkeeper to put the Panthers up 1-0 early in the contest.
- PSU doubled its lead in the 18th minute when McDonough headed in a free kick off the foot of Godo to go up 2-0.
- Plymouth State continued to apply pressure to Elms, extending the margin to 3-0 in the 28th minute as Olsen converted a penalty kick as the Panthers started to put the game out of reach.
- The Blazers started the second half on a mission, issuing five shots, including one off the crossbar in the first 15 minutes, to gain some momentum and attempt to come back from the three-goal deficit.
- The Panthers' defense held strong, keeping Elms at bay to hold onto the shutout with 30 minutes left to play and time winding down.
- Elms' pressure paid off, as the Blazers broke in on the left side of the box and slotted home the goal to bring the scoreline to 3-1 after 68 minutes of action, setting the scene for an exciting closeout to the match.
- Plymouth State silenced the crowd with goals in the 86th and 90th minute to secure the win for the Panthers. MacDonald delivered a beautiful shot over the goalkeeper's fingers off a feed from Sullivan, then Sullivan converted an easy goal off MacDonald's pass to cap the scoring.
By the Numbers:
- Elms outshot the Panthers, 19-18.
- Shots on goal went to the Panthers, 11-10.
- Elms recorded five corner kicks while Plymouth State had two of its own.
- MacDonald now leads the team with six goals and 14 points.
- Sullivan finished with two goals and an assist.
- Sophomore Christa Giansiracusa (Tewksbury, Mass.) made eight saves to earn the win.
- Plymouth State is .500 or better after 8 games for the first time since the 2022 season.
- This was the first meeting between the two teams.
Up Next:
- Plymouth State will look for its first Little East Conference win of the season as the team hosts VTSU Castleton on Saturday (Sept. 27). Opening kickoff is set for 1:00 p.m. at Arold Field.
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