Women's Soccer Opens MASCAC Play With 4-0 Triumph Over MCLA

Worcester, MA --- Junior Alicia Macomber (Stoughton, MA) finished with one goal and an assist while senior Margo Clifford (Attleboro, MA) added two helpers as they both helped Worcester State defeat MCLA, 4-0, in MASCAC women's soccer action this evening.

With the win the Lancers improve to 5-1 (1-0 MASCAC) while the Trailblazers slip to 1-5-1 (0-1) with the setback.

As the contest remained scoreless with roughly 20 minutes to play in the opening stanza, MCLA sophomore Natalie Caney (Belchertown, MA) helped give her squad a boost defensively with a key team save on the right side of the net to keep the score where it was.

Macomber though netted her squad-best seventh goal of the campaign to help the hosts claim the 1-0 margin at the intermission. After a pass from the left side of the box by Clifford, she finished to the right corner in the 34th minute.

Junior Kendal Bergenholtz (Grafton, MA) ignited the Blue and Gold with her third of the season in the 64th minute to help the hosts extend the advantage. She hit home a cross by Macomber from the right side that the keeper tried to cut off, but lost in front of the net.

Senior teammates Shelby Archer (Dayville, CT) and Cassie Giardina (Pittsfield, MA) both netted late goals to help lead the charge in the closing minutes of regulation.

Freshman Ashleigh Howland (Wilmington, MA) found Archer on the top of the box, who fired a missile past the dive of the goaltender in the 79th minute before Giardina potted a breakaway marker that glanced off a defender from Clifford in the 88th minute.

MCLA's best chance to score was when the Trailblazers were down 1-0 early in the second stanza.

Senior Janelle Stannard's (Valley Falls, NY) attempt was wide to the left in the 59th minute and classmate Erin Ferris (Springfield, MA/Chicopee) long free kick was stopped short by junior net minder Jillian Witkowski (Leicester, MA) moments later.

Witkowski recorded a pair of saves in her third shutout of the campaign as sophomore Katy Daly (S. Cairo, NY) had 10 stops.

Each squad will host a non-league opponents on Wednesday. Worcester State entertains Plymouth State at 7 PM while MCLA plays SUNYIT in a 4:30 affair.