Gardner Scores Two as Blue Defeat UMass Dartmouth 2-0

DARTMOUTH, Mass. -- Junior Keller Gardner (Falmouth, Maine) put up two goals on a rainy afternoon to lead Wellesley to a 2-0 victory over UMass Dartmouth on Tuesday.

The Blue win a second consecutive match and improve to 8-6 overall and remain in third place in New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) play at 5-2. Little East Conference (LEC) member UMass Dartmouth will remain at 6-5 in the conference, but falls to 7-11 overall.

Wellesley had all the momentum early on, firing up five shots within the first seven minutes of the game. After the first quarter finished scoreless, Gardner scored the game's first goal off an assist by Julia Rappaport (Bala Cynwyd, Pa.). The goal was the fourth of the season for Gardner and gave Wellesley a 1-0 lead going into halftime.

The third period was dominated by the Blue on the defensive end, as the team didn't allow a single shot for UMass Dartmouth. Just 2:12 in the fourth quarter, Cass Novello (Scotch Plains, N.J.) broke away down the right side of the field. She then sent a great pass to find an open Gardner who scored her second goal of the game. The Blue held on to the 2-0 advantage to down the Corsairs in the rainstorm.

As a team, Wellesley outshot UMass Dartmouth 19-6. Keeper Kyra Deehr Lewis (Newtown, Penn.) made four saves on four shots faced and improved her record to 8-6 overall. Opposite keeper Alyssa McDonough (Hill, N.H.) also tallied four saves. To go along with the assist, Rappaport fired up two shots on goal and Penny Juarez (Los Angeles, Calif.) had a shot on goal.

Wellesley will finish up the regular season on the road at Springfield for a NEWMAC matchup starting at 5:00 PM on Saturday, October 30. The Corsairs will also complete the regular season on Saturday at Worcester St. at 4:00 PM.