Box Score BOSTON, Mass. (October 26, 2021) – The Western New England University women's soccer team took down the Leopards of Wentworth Institute of Technology on Tuesday evening from a wet and rainy Sweeney Field as Samantha Vitka scored two goals while Allison Bruehwiler added to her team lead, scoring her 8th of the season in a 3-0 win for the Golden Bears on the final regular season game of the season.
Records:
- Western New England: 11-6 (7-2 CCC)
- Wentworth Institute of Technology: 2-11-3 (1-7-1 CCC)
How it Happened:
Both teams matched fairly evenly through the first 20 minutes of play, with Western New England seeing the better of the play in the offensive end. A quick shot in the second minute on goal from Allison Bruehwiler was shut down by Wentworth's Juliana Heaton. Western New England's offensive attack would result in their first goal of the game, coming in the 22nd minute. After some good footwork to move the ball forward by Autumn Hathaway, the Golden Bears started a breakout as Isabella Montalvo led Samantha Vitka for a through ball into the left side of the box. Vitka was able to catch up to the pass and take a shot on goal that found the back of the right side of the net to give Western New England the 1-0 lead. Vitka tallies her fifth goal of the season, while Montalvo collects her second season assist.
A minute after the goal, Wentworth would come into the box with some offensive pressure when Madelyn Seder took a shot on goal though Golden Bears GK Molly McLaughlin handled the chance to keep the Leopards off the scoreboard. Western New England would outshoot Wentworth 8-2 in the first 45 minutes of play. WNE took two out of the three corner kicks in the opening 45 minutes as well.
Western New England came out firing on all cylinders in the opening minutes of the second half, looking to break the game open with the second goal of the game. Hathaway, Vitka, and Summer Hathaway all took shots within a two-minute span, though none would be on goal. In the 65th minute, the Golden Bears would find an opportunity to goal and cash in to double their lead. Western New England was awarded with a corner kick and Autumn Hathaway would line up the kick from the far end corner. Hathaway's kick came sailing up towards the back post and found the head of Samantha Vitka who scored into the bottom left corner of the net to give WNE the 2-0 lead. Vitka grabs her sixth goal of the season and second on the afternoon to give Western New England a big advantage.
Wanting an extra goal to put the game out of reach, the Golden Bears were able to find the back of the net once more, this time in the 72nd minute. After a successful clear by the Wentworth defense, Western New England would quickly grab the ball back and send it back into the box off the foot of Summer Hathaway. Hathaway's ball would bounce off the Leopards defense and find the foot of Allison Bruehwiler, who pounced on the loose ball and kicked it past the aggressive Wentworth goalkeeper and into the net to give WNE the 3-0 lead.
Wentworth would attempt to come on late taking the final three shots of the game, though all three wide to the right post, guarded by McLaughlin securing the victory for the Golden Bears 3-0.
Inside the Lines:
- Samantha Vitka led the way for the Golden Bears, netting two goals in the 3-0 win. Vitka registers her second two-goal game of the season, with her first coming against Curry College at Suprenant Field on October 2.
- The Hathaway sisters (Autumn and Summer) tallied an assist each in the Golden Bears win. Autumn now has three assists on the season, second most on the season. Summer collects her second assist of the season.
- Molly McLaughlin was forced to make just one save in the 90 minutes of play for Western New England. McLaughlin also had a one save shutout in a 6-0 win over Curry College earlier this season.
- Western New England will now wait for Endicott College to play their final game of the season at Nichols College tomorrow afternoon to decide their seeding in the CCC women's soccer tournament. For further information and schedule updates visit wnegoldenbears.com
Up Next on the Schedule
- The CCC women's soccer playoff begin on Thursday, October 28 with the quarterfinal round. WNE awaits their fate to see what seed they will settle into.
