BOSTON, Mass.- Led by Katie Donnelly's (Madison, Conn.) fifth straight shutout and Shelby McLenithan's (Bennnigton, Vt.) two goals with under eight minutes left in regulation, the Endicott women's soccer team defeated Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) foe Wentworth on the road to improve to 10-3-4 (6-1-1 CCC) on the season. The win vaults the Gulls into second place in the standings, trailing just Roger Williams (6-0-2) as both teams prepare for their final regular season match on Tuesday. Endicott will travel to Eastern Nazarene (5-3-0 CCC) for a 4:30 p.m. start while Roger Williams travels to Gordon (5-3-0 CCC) for a 3:00 p.m. start.
Donnelly, who lowered her goals against average on the season to 0.69, recorded her sixth shutout of the season as she made six saves in the win. The Endicott defense of Clare Mansfield (Stoneham, Mass.), Katherine Chipman (Brunswick, Maine), Shannon Hickey (East Haddam, Conn.) and Betsy Albiani (Stoneham, Mass.) frustrated the Wentworth attack as they allowed just six shots on goal throughout the match and have allowed just 16 over the last 5 contests, a span in which the Gulls have gone 4-0-1.
For McLenithan, the two goals were her fourth and fifth of the season, which now gives her the team lead in goals and points, with 11. The sophomore's first goal came in the 83rd minute as Clare Mansfield served a long pass to her from the right side. McLenithan's shot from left to right beat Wentworth's keeper Nicole Leahey (Warwick, R.I.) just inside the right post for what would be the eventual game winner. Continuing the pressure, Ashley Mueskes (Georgetown, Mass.) crossed a beautiful ball inside the box that McLenithan sniped to the upper right corner to give Endicott the 2-0 lead, a score that would hold to the final whistle.
Leahey finished with four saves for the home team in the tough loss to drop her individual record to 3-4. The Leopards out-shot the Gulls 15-13 on the match but couldn't beat Donnelly with their six shots on goal compared to Endicott which capitalized on two of their seven shots on goal.
The win sees the Gulls improve to 10-3-4 (6-1-1 CCC) on the season while Wentworth falls to 7-8-2 (2-5-1 CCC). Endicott will travel to Eastern Nazarene (5-3-0 CCC) for a 4:30 p.m. start while Wenworth hosts Nichols, a team that is 7-10 (2-6 CCC) on the season, for a 4:00 p.m. start.
