Box Score Photo by Chase Allgood
PASADENA, Calif. (Oct. 2, 2021) – An inspirational effort by Caltech women's soccer fell just short as the Beavers nearly took Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges to overtime behind big strike from rookie Jennifer Solgaard (Palo Alto, Calif. / Palo Alto) on Saturday morning.
Caltech played right with CMS, which entered at 5-1-2 overall, throughout the game, tallying just four fewer shots on goal at a clinical .667 percentage to the Athenas' .526 while the goalkeeping duo of junior Even Fine (Locust Valley, N.Y. / Friends Acad.) and sophomore Megan Robertson (Nashville, Tenn. / Harpeth Hall) combined to make eight saves.
CMS opened the game pushing hard upfield and, following a blocked shot, goalkeeper save and defensive save in front of an open goal, won a corner kick. The visitors quickly worked the ball to the top of the box and slotted a pass inside to the six for the punch-in goal to go ahead. The Athenas kept up their relentless attack until moments after the first half water break, when a nice read by senior Jocelyn Kho (Temple City, Calif. / Temple City) cut out a dangerous through ball to start a counter attack, with Solgaard collecting a long ball up the right wing then beating her defender 1-on-1 and lofting a high arching ball into the upper far corner from the edge of the box.
With the score tied, CMS tried to overwhelm Caltech with a pair of three-substitution exchanges at the 22nd- and 31st-minute marks, but the Beavers remained firm and Fine was able to turn away the only three other efforts on-target through the half.
Head Coach Ellery Gould got her squad even more motivated during halftime as the Beavers stormed out with two shots on target in the first five minutes and ripped another in the 57th as they looked about to steal the game. Robertson made the first save she was called upon to turn away in the 68th minute, but the Athenas had regained their composure and broke through again a minute later. Both teams had their chances in the waning 20 minutes, but the score line would stand despite a particularly heroic effort from senior Schuyler Dick (Hudson, Ohio / Walsh Jesuit), who put three shots on target to no avail.
Gould and the Beavers host the University of Redlands on Monday, Oct. 4 at 4 p.m.
