University of Massachusets Athletics
University of Massachusetts
Maine
Women's Soccer Wins Season Opener, 1-0, Over Maine
August 31, 2007 | Women's Soccer
Aug. 31, 2007
KINGSTON, R.I. -- Sophomore Sydney Stoll (Dedham, Mass.) scored the only goal of the game in the 18th minute as the Massachusetts Women's Soccer Team (1-0-0) beat Maine (0-1-0), 1-0, in the season opener Friday afternoon at the University of Rhode Island. Redshirt senior goalkeeper Kristin Walker (Lincoln Park, N.J.) made four saves for the Minutewomen en route to her 19th career shutout. Each team had nine shots in the game, while Maine took nine corner kicks to the Minutewomen's eight. Senior Britt Canfield (Granville, Mass.) led the Minutewomen with six shots, three of which were on goal and assisted on Stoll's goal.
UMass will next play Providence Sunday at 2:30 PM at URI with head coach Jim Rudy looking for career win number 300. Only eight other NCAA coaches have eclipsed the 300-win plateau.
"It was a very, very physical game but we are happy to come through with a win," said Rudy. "Sydney scored a wonderful goal that was set up by Canfield and Toulouse. This was a good win against a solid Maine team that battled hard. We were not as smooth as we would have liked today, but played well for the first game of the season. Meghan Gould played extremely well in her first 90-minute game from the central midfield."
Stoll tallied the Minutewomen's first goal of the season when she beat Maine goalkeeper Jasmine Phillips in the 18th minute giving UMass a 1-0 lead. For Stoll, it was her second career goal. Canfield relieved the ball from junior Melissa Toulouse (Arlington, Va.), carried it for 10-20 cards and slipped a pass across to Stoll who was able to shoot it over Phillips. That was the only tally in a defensive first half. The two teams combined for just seven shots, with the Minutewomen taking four of them. UMass had four of the five corner kicks and Walker was credited with two saves.
Maine stepped up the offense in the second half, but the UMass defense was up to the task and made Stoll's goal stand-up. The Black Bears had seven corner kicks in the second half alone, but Walker and the defense were able to turn them all away.
Phillips made four saves for Maine.
The Minutewomen will remain in Rhode Island to face Providence College Sunday at 2:30 PM. Fans can follow all of the action live via Gametracker at www.umassathletics.com. The 2007 home opener at Rudd Field will be Friday, Sept. 7 when the Minutewomen host Iona at 4:30 PM.
