Women's Soccer Opens Home Schedule with Shutout Win over Keene State

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (September 3, 2022) - The Western New England Golden Bears returned home for an early afternoon matchup with the Keene State College Owls. WNE looked for their fourth win in as many games against the Owls. The Golden Bears would achieve that goal by scoring once in the first half and twice in the second half to take down Keene State 3-0.

Records:

• Western New England: 1-1-0
• Keene State: 0-1-1

How it Happened:

As the game kicked off between the Golden Bears and Owls, the two teams would volley the ball back and forth before the Owls would make the first true move of the game with a strike by Kayleigh Marshal that sailed to the left. WNE would have a tough time retaining the ball early on, leading to another shot by Keene State, but it went wide left again. Allison Bruehwiler would have the game's first chance on net when she fired a shot at KSC GK Sonia Moritz. Bruehwiler would have another chance a minute later; however, it would slide right of the goal. Moritz would have to make another save a few minutes later when Isabella Montalvo would put a shot on net. Keene State would have some earlier runs toward the net, but nothing would come from them. There would be a few more shots from WNE, but only one would make it on net. Summer Hathaway would have an opportunity to open the scoring in the 41^st minute, but Moritz would be equal to the task. 

WNE would capitalize on their many opportunities in the final minute when a through ball found Brynn Murphy on the right side, and she would send the ball past Moritz right into the bottom left corner of the net. That would end a tight first half. WNE would end the first half with nine shots to KSC's two. WNE GK Molly McLaughlin would not have to make any saves in the first half, but Moritz would make five saves on the six shots on goal that she faced. WNE took two corners during the first half to Keene State's zero corners. KSC would be the more forceful team with five fouls to WNE's two. 

WNE would open the half like they ended the first one. Four minutes in, they would send a shot that would not contest Moritz but would show that they were trying hard for a quick second goal. KSC would then get their first shot on net when Marshall would send a shot toward the bottom corner, but Mclaughlin would save the shot with ease. Next, WNE would get a corner kick in the 55^th minute. Bruehwiler would take it and bend a shot around Moritz into the bottom right corner of the net for the Golden Bears' second goal of the game. WNE would keep the pressure on with multiple shots during the next ten minutes, including a shot by Bruehwiler in the 62^nd minute. WNE would then have a set of shots on net that would be turned away before Gabby Sansone would find the ball in her possession on the left side of the box before burying it in the back of the net to put WNE up 3-0.

That would end the scoring for the game, but not the opportunities. KSC would make McLaughlin work for two more saves, but WNE would continue to hold most of the possession and have multiple close shots but would not worry Moritz. The game would end at 3-0.

WNE would finish the game with 21 shots, eight of which were on net. Keene would finish with eight shots and four of them on net. WNE would have five corners and capitalize on one of them. KSC would finish with two corners and seven fouls. WNE would flip the script in the second half and finish with nine fouls. 

Inside the Lines:

• Today's matchup was the fourth matchup in five years. WNE would look to continue their domination with a fourth win in four games.
• McLaughlin would get the shutout win with four saves on Keene State.
• Murphy would kick off the scoring with a late goal in the first half for her first goal of the season.
• Bruehwiler would find herself on the goal sheet for the first time this year with her banana kick goal in the 56th minute of play.
• Sansone would finish off the scoring in the 68th minute with her goal that sailed right over Mortiz.
• The Golden Bears would take the win 3-0 for their first win of the season.

Up Next on the Schedule:

• Western New England will stay home for a game against Husson University on Sunday, September 4 at 12:30 pm.
• Keene State will stay on the road to face Regis College on Wednesday, September 7, at 7 pm.