Dominant Defensive Effort Leads Endicott Past WNE 4-0

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - The Endicott women's soccer team scored two goals in each half while the defense allowed just one shot on goal as the Gulls claimed a 4-0 road win on Saturday. 

With the win, Endicott is now 10-2-2 on the season and 5-1-0 in Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) play. Western New England (WNE) falls to 5-9-2 overall and 2-4-0 in conference.

The Gulls saw sophomore Sharlotte Pernice (West Springfield, Mass.) score her team-leading seventh goal of the season in the 29th minute to give Endicott the 1-0 lead mid-way through the first half. Pernice's header off of the corner from Abigail Silverstein (Katonah, N.Y.) would prove to be her third game-winner of the season, tying her with teammate Rachel Hanna (Chelmsford, Mass.) for the team lead.

Freshman Larissa Cade (Middlefield, Conn.) notched her fourth goal of the season in the 43rd minute that would give the Gulls a 2-0 lead heading into the break. Endicott's defense was stifling throughout, but especially so in the first half as the Gulls allowed just one shot in the first 45 minutes of play.

Endicott would see freshman Hannah Pesci (Windham, N.H.) post two goals in the second half to provide the rest of the scoring for the match to give Endicott the 4-0 win. Pesci's first goal came at the 68:37 mark of the match to give her five goals on the season. The talented first year players wouldn't hesitate to strike again, registering her sixth of the season less than four minutes later. 

Goalie Caroline Armbruster (Stowe, Vt.) would make just one save in the win, improving her personal record to 10-2-1 on the season as she now has five shutouts on the season.

BEYOND THE BOX

• Endicott is now 11-4 all-time against WNE as the Gulls have claimed the last three matches by a combined score of 7-0. The Gulls have won 11 of the last 12 dating back to 2008 and have out-scored the Golden Bears 25-5 over that stretch.
• Pernice is now tied for the conference lead with three game winners, joining teammate Rachel Hanna and four other women. The sophomore is also tied for second in the league with 18 points (7 goals, 4 assists).
• Armbruster's fifth shutout on the season gives her 10 for her career as she has already matched last season's total. 
• Endicott currently has the highest goals per game average in the CCC, posting 2.71 goals per game on the season (38 goals in 13 matches), and the second-best goals against average of just 0.68.

FOR THE FOES

• Keeper Marissa Veilleux (Newington, Conn.) made four saves on the six shots she faced as she fell to 5-8-1 on the season.
• Katelyn Cummings (Feeding Hills, Mass.) registered the lone shot on goal for the Golden Bears.

WHAT'S NEXT

Endicott returns to the Nest for their final home match of the regular season as the Gulls will host the Nor'Easters of UNE on Wedensday at 7:00 p.m. Western New England hosts Curry on Wednesday at 3:00 p.m.