Rams Lose 3-1 to Norwich In Women's Soccer

SOMERVILLE, Mass.-- Junior Leanne Waterman (Gray, Maine) and freshman Nikki Szczepanski (Auburn, N.Y.) each netted goals to lead Norwich to a 3-1 Great Northeast Athletic Conference women’s soccer victory over Suffolk Saturday evening at Dilboy Stadium.

Szczepanski staked the visiting Cadets (9-3, 7-1 Great Northeast) to a 1-0 first half lead when she converted a feed from fellow freshman Kelly Bush (Rochester, N.Y.) on a breakaway for her seventh marker of the season in the 22nd minute of play, and Waterman took a throw-in from freshman Megan Gingras (Williamstown, Vt.) in the 53rd minute for her third tally of the season to extend Norwich’s edge to 2-0. Junior Meghann Benesh (Miller Place, N.Y.) netted her first career goal less than three minutes later for the host Rams (0-8, 0-8 Great Northeast) off a corner kick from sophomore Kalli MacKinnon (Boylston, Mass.) as Suffolk sliced its deficit in half, but the Cadets were able to add an insurance marker in the 74th minute by taking advantage of an own goal.

Junior Tracey Breault (Charlton, Mass.) picked up the win in goal for Norwich by making six saves in 55-plus minutes of action, as freshman Alecia Wright (Retsof, N.Y.) made one stop in the final 34-plus minutes of play. Sophomore Meghan McDonald (Easton, Mass.) made 13 saves in net for Suffolk as the Cadets outshot the Rams by a 23-8 margin for the match.

Suffolk heads to Newton Centre, Mass. on Tuesday afternoon to take on Mount Ida in a Great Northeast outing that begins at 3:30 p.m., while Norwich hosts Daniel Webster in a Great Northeast match on Monday afternoon in Northfield, Vt. that begins at 3:30 p.m.

SCORING SUMMARY 
NOR: Nikki Szczepanski (Kelly Bush) 21:50 1st 
NOR: Leanne Waterman (Megan Gingras) 52:23 2nd 
SUF: Meghann Benesh (Kalli MacKinnon) 55:06 2nd 
NOR: Own Goal 73:50 2nd

GOALIE SAVES 
NOR: Tracey Breault—6, Alecia Wright—1 
SUF: Meghan McDonald—13