The women's soccer team (2-2-0) faced a tough schedule this week, battling two nationally ranked opponents early in the season. But the young squad came away with an upset victory after a hard-fought away loss. Bruno fell 4-1 to No. 5 Boston College (4-0-1) on Wednesday night, but then returned to Stevenson Field Saturday afternoon to secure a 2-1 win in its home opener over No. 22 Monmouth (4-1-0).
No. 5 Boston College 4, Brown 1
The Bears' defense was under immediate pressure early in the game against the Eagles on Wednesday night. Boston College's Victoria DiMartino scored less than two minutes into the first half and led BC to a 10-2 shot advantage in the first 45 minutes.
With a second goal by DiMartino, who went on to record her first career hat trick, the Eagles held a 2-0 advantage at halftime. With two quick strikes about 10 minutes into the second half, BC added its third and fourth goals to secure the Eagles' hold over the Bears.
Unwilling to give up, the Bears pressed on as forward-midfielders Erika Lum '11 and Louisa Pitney '14 and fullback Carly Ruiz '12 each had a shot on goal late in the second half. And with only a minute remaining, midfielder Gina Walker '11 scored with an assist from forward Eliza Marshall '13, saving the Bears from a shutout.
Walker's goal was only the second scored on Boston College this season. The Eagles have shut out five of the seven teams they have played so far, only allowing goals to Brown and No. 2 Stanford.
Head Coach Phil Pincince was pleased with how the team matched up against the Eagles. "It was actually a well-played match for us," he said. "I was really happy we scored and that we didn't give up."
Brown 2, No. 22 Monmouth 1
The Bears and Hawks battled shot-for-shot in the first half of Saturday's home opener. In the middle of the first half, Monmouth took the shot advantage, testing Brown's defense and Amber Bledsoe's '14 goalkeeping abilities. But the Bears succeeded in fending off all of the Hawks' first-half attempts on goal.
"We did a good job talking to each other and working in the back and just staying organized," Bledsoe said of the Bears' defense.
The first half looked to be at a standstill until Alison Mullin '14 launched a high shot that hit the crossbar. The carom set up forward-midfielder Kiersten Berg '14, who tapped it into the net to secure her first career goal just 18 seconds before halftime.
"It was really exciting to see her score the first goal of the season on our home field," Bledsoe said.
Looking to increase Bruno's 1-0 lead, Berg scored again 15 minutes into the second half with an assist from Walker. The Hawks answered six minutes later, finally beating Brown's formidable defense. In the last 30 minutes of the game, Brown fought to avoid a tie and came out with a 2-1 win over previously undefeated Monmouth.
"We didn't focus on them. We just played our game," Berg said, speaking about facing the nationally ranked Hawks. "Going up against an undefeated team is always kind of fun."
The Bears go back on the road this week, traveling to West Point, N.Y., Wednesday afternoon to face Army. They will be led by newly appointed captains Charlotte Rizzi '11 and Walker.
