WATERVILLE, Maine – Freshman Brenna Smith (Maynard, Mass.) scored on a header with 55 seconds remaining in regulation to break a scoreless tie and lift Saint Joseph's College (11-4-1, 6-3-1 GNAC) past Thomas College (4-10-0, 3-4-0 NAC) in non-conference women's soccer action on Wednesday evening.
With the win, the Monks extend a season-high winning streak to six games.
Saint Joseph's offense took control in the first half as they outshot the Terriers 13-1. The Terriers biggest opportunity came in the 6th minute as Nikki Bradstreet's (Topsham, Maine) shot was stopped by Monks senior keeper Brooke Troup (East Bridgewater, Mass.). The Monks tested Kayla Gordon (Wiscasset, Maine) with four scoring opportunities but could not break the tie before the half.
After spending most of the second half on defense, the Terriers could not capitalize on two chances in the 73rd minute as Makenzie Carlow (Winslow, Maine) had the ball stolen away in the box. Saint Joseph's responded in the 78th as Gordon made a timely save on Kenzie Murphy. Murphy's rebound found an open Madeline Wood who missed wide to the left.
In the final minute, Monks freshman Kayla Gooch (Dracut, Mass.) sent a deep crossing pass into the box from the right side to Smith, who launched a header the back of the net at the 89:05 mark.
Gordon shouldered the loss in goal after keeping the Terriers in the game with 13 saves while Troup made two stops in the win.
The Monks outshot the Terriers 31-2 and held an 8-0 advantage in corners.
Saint Joseph's will host conference-rival Suffolk University on Saturday at 11:00 AM.
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Saint Joseph's College is Maine's only Catholic liberal arts college, providing a supportive, personalized and career-focused education for more than 100 years. From its 430-acre campus on the shores of Sebago Lake, the College offers more than 40 undergraduate programs to a population of approximately 1,000 students. Saint Joseph's College Online provides certificates, undergraduate and advanced degrees for working adults through an online learning program. For more, visit www.sjcme.edu.
