WORCESTER, Mass. Senior Alyssa Werbicki (Chicopee, Mass.) potted the game-winning tally and added an assist to help lead the American International College women's soccer team to a, 2-0, victory over Assumption College this evening in Northeast-10 action.
The Jackets even their record to 3-3 on the year while improving to 2-1 in the NE-10 while the Greyhounds fall to 4-2 overall and 2-2 in conference play.
On a cool night in Worcester it took American International a while to heat up as it was a tale of two halves from Multi-Sport Stadium.
"I just told the girls we have a game-plan, we practiced it last night, you have to follow instructions and believe in the coaching staff" mentioned head coach Kevon Isa.
The Greyhounds controlled most of the first half with numerous scoring chances and had a golden opportunity to notch the first goal as senior Paige Radomski (Kingston, Mass.) received a great pass running up the right side, but her shot from the top of the box sailed high and over the crossbar in the 24th minute.
Assumption went into the break with a 15-4 edge in shots and a 5-0 lead in corner kicks.
AIC came out of the half determined, however, as in the 48th minute senior Alyssa Werbicki (Chicopee, Mass.) held off a defender causing her to fall, she then juked the goalie, who came out of the box to defend, and placed the ball into the empty net for the 1-0 edge.
The Jackets almost made it a two-goal edge as senior Meimi Tomochika (Toshima-ku, Japan) played the ball down in the midfield and found sophomore Linnea Herbertsson (Boras, Sweden) on the right, but her bid to pick the far post was denied by Greyhound junior keeper Emily Kuzma (East Haven, Conn.) in the 56th minute.
Freshman Federica Frew (Melbourne, Australia) also had a good bid to give the visitors cushion as she blasted a shot on goal from the left side of the box in the 77th minute that was denied by Kuzma.
Then in the 81st minute it was freshman Rachel Brown (Springfield, Mass.) blasting one into the top left corner from 35-yards out, for her first collegiate goal, off a pass from Werbicki for the 2-0 edge.
Graduate student Rachel Edgin (Whitesboro, N.Y.) stopped nine shots as she returned as a visitor to the field she spent the last four years playing on to shutout the Greyhounds and improve to 3-3.
"I havemixed feelings, it's a game and that's what it will always be. I love them, but I'm happy to come out of here with a win and a shutout" commented Edgin. "It's a big day for her and was very emotional, but she did what we asked her to do and that is keepthe ball out of the net" concluded Isa.
Her counterpart, Kuzma, made six saves while falling to 4-2 on the season.
The hosts held a commanding 26-12 edge in shots including the slim 9-8 margin on target while blanking the Jackets in corner kicks 8-0.
The Jackets will now face their toughest test of the season so far when No. 9 nationally ranked Saint Rose travels eastbound on I-90 for a 2 p.m. affair on the grass at MassMutal Soccer field on Saturday.
