Mount Holyoke Tops Wellesley Soccer, 2-1

SOUTH HADLEY, Mass. – Wellesley College junior Darlene Dang scored her second goal of the season but it wasn't enough, as Mount Holyoke College took a 2-1 victory over the Blue in New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) soccer action on Saturday afternoon.

With the win – the first for the Lyons over the Blue in ten years – Mount Holyoke improves to 6-7-0 and 2-3-0 in conference play. The Blue are now 7-5-2 overall and 1-3-0 in the NEWMAC.

Mount Holyoke got out to a 1-0 lead just 1:18 into the contest. Hannah Yee found herself in the right place at the right time following a Mount Holyoke corner kick, as the ball deflected off a Wellesley defender and into the penalty area for Yee to one-time into the back of the net.

Yee's first goal of the season came on the first of just two first half shots for the Lyons, as Wellesley held a 7-2 advantage in the first half and a 16-5 advantage in shots in the match.

The Blue nearly tied the contest in the first half as Melise Knowles was able to get her foot on an incoming cross, but the resulting shot fell safely into the hands of Mount Holyoke goalkeeper Zoe Marshall. Marshall finished the contest with eight saves, making four in each half.

In the second half, the unrelenting pressure for the Blue paid off as Dang snapped a three-game scoreless streak for the Blue-- scoring an unassisted marker to even the score, 1-1, with just over 22 minutes to play.

With the score tied 1-1 late in the contest, Mount Holyoke senior forward Cassidy Robinson finished on a cross from classmate Kara Singleton to give the Lyons the 2-1 lead. Singleton delivered a ball into the middle of the penalty area, just out of the reach of Blue goalkeeper Kat Goldsmith, that Robinson redirected into the back of the Wellesley net for the eventual game-winner.

Goldsmith made one save in the second half for the Blue, coming on for starter Claire Cerda after the senior played the first half.

Both teams return to NEWMAC action on Tuesday. Wellesley will travel to MIT for a 4:00 PM match, while Mount Holyoke will head to Coast Guard for a 7:00 PM start.