Box Score Western New England snaps Colonials' 11-game winning streak
DANBURY, Mass. (October 3, 2017) – Led by a second half goal from freshman forward Morgan Smith (Manchester, Conn.) and a career performance from sophomore goalkeeper Alex Lemekha (Stamford, Conn.), the Western New England University women's soccer team earned a 1-1 draw at Western Connecticut State University on Tuesday afternoon in non-conference action at the Western Athletic Complex.
Top Performers
• Smith scored her second goal of the season with the help of an assist from senior forward Iman Shehemi (Feeding Hill, Mass.).
• Lemekha kept the Golden Bears in the contest with a career-high 12 saves, five of which came during the two ten-minute overtime periods.
• Western Connecticut senior forward Autumn Sorice (Bethel, Conn.) scored the lone goal for the Colonials early in the first half.
Match Review
• Sorice staked the home team to a 1-0 lead just 7:36 into the contest with the 50th goal of her career.
• Western Connecticut led by the same margin at the break and for the majority of the second half, until the Golden Bears were able to equalize in the 78th minute. Shehemi forced a turnover at midfield and sent a long pass to Smith, who got in behind the Western Connecticut defense and beat Colonials' freshman goalkeeper Alexis Lainchbury (Hopewell Junction, N.Y.) with a low shot inside the far post.
• Lemekha came through with several saves during the 20 minutes of extra time, including a clutch stop on a shot by junior Aileen Maloney (Trumbull, Conn.) in the final minute to preserve the draw.
Notes
• Western Connecticut, which entered Tuesday's action with an undefeated 11-0-0 record, is among teams receiving votes in the United Soccer Coaches Division III national poll and ranked 23rd in the D3soccer.com poll. The Colonials are ranked fifth in this week's New England regional poll.
• The Golden Bears were outshot 22-9, while Western Connecticut held a 10-5 advantage in corner kicks.
• Western New England's strong defensive effort limited the Colonials to a single goal for just the second time in 12 games this season.
• Smith is now tied for the team lead with two goals this season.
Up Next
Both teams will be back in action on Saturday, as Western New England (4-5-2) returns home to host Nichols at 2:30 p.m., and Western Connecticut (11-0-1) takes on Eastern Connecticut.
