St. Lawrence Too Strong for Blue Soccer

CANTON, N.Y. --  The Wellesley College soccer team was upended by St. Lawrence University Sunday afternoon, with the Saints posting a 4-0 win to capture the 2013 North Country Classic title. The Blue fall to 0-2 with the loss, while St. Lawrence improves to 2-0.

St. Lawrence was fresh off of a win over #18 Cortland yesterday, and today used three first-half goals to put the Blue away early.

Controlling the majority of possessions in the first half, the Saints' first tally came in the first five minutes as Emily DePoy scored her third goal of the season.  Off a throw in, Julia Friesen headed the ball towards the net, which deflected off a Blue defender to the foot of DePoy, who sent a shot far post to give the Saints a 1-0 lead.

The Saints would score again in the 18th minute, this time by Mackenzie Collins for her first of the season.  From the top of the 18 yard box, Hannah Calvelli found DePoy in the middle, who pushed the ball past the Blue's defensive line to Collins.  Collins put in a low shot to the opposite post.

In the 30th minute, Mimi Coppinger would give her team a 3-0 lead with her first goal of the season.  The Saints took one of their seven first half corner kicks, and in a scramble in front of the net, Coppinger one-timed a shot off a bounce past Wellesley's goalkeeper Claire Cerda.

Wellesley played stronger in the second half and Cerda and the Blue defense kept the Saints scoreless for the next 50:00 minutes of play.  St. Lawrence, however, cashed in on another goal in the 80th minute as Friesen carried the ball in on Cerda, who made the initial save, but Alexandra Weatherbie was trailing to hit home the rebound for her first goal of the season.  

The St. Lawrence back line of Laura Topf, Hannah Calvelli, Adriana Morra and Liz Laprade limited the action that goalkeeper Andrea Strauss saw.  Strauss was, however, tested in the second half on a hard shot from Wellesley's Maddie Carlborg, deflecting the shot over the crossbar for the save.  She earns her first shutout of the season with a two-save performance.    

Wellesley's goalkeeper Cerda turned in six saves on the day, including several impressive plays in the second half.  The ball was chipped over the Blue's defense to Collins.  Collins shot a blooper over the head of Cerda, who made a diving save backwards to keep the ball out of the net.  Minutes later, she broke up another play by intercepting a centering pass from Friesen to Coppinger in front of the goal. 

Wellesley is back in action next weekend, hosting the Wellesley Soccer Classic. The Blue will play Bryn Mawr on Saturday at 1:00pm and then will take on the University of New England on Sunday at 1:00pm.