BOSTON, Mass. (September 8, 2022) – With a difference in temperature of 30 degrees and distance of nearly 3,000 miles between Pasadena and Boston, the Caltech Beavers kicked off their road trip with an evening match against the Leopards of Wentworth Institute of Technology.
Located just over a mile from famed Major League Baseball's oldest stadium (1912) Fenway Park, Wentworth, founded in 1904, is an NCAA Div. III institution that was looking to notch a victory against their fellow STEM school opponents in this early season, non-conference contest. And while both sides were fairly matched, it was the Beavers of Caltech who came out on top with the hard-fought, 1-0 road victory on Thursday night.
Starting their two-game swing in the Cradle of Liberty, Head Coach Jen Clark and the Beavers' squad were excited to test their early season progress. They weren't disappointed with the process or results, as sophomore Jennifer Solgaard (Palo Alto, Calif. / Palo Alto) scored the game's only goal with 23 seconds remaining as the Beavers clipped Wentworth.
While the Beavers may have secured the victory through a goal in the last minute, it was a fair result, given that Caltech controlled much of the run of play in the first forty-five minutes, out shooting their hosts 6-1 in the first half. Senior goalkeeper Eve Fine (Locust Valley, N.Y. / Friends Academy), who got the start between the pipes for Caltech, was forced to make one save on a chance off of a corner. She was up to the task as the two sides went to intermission knotted at 0-0.
But as the second half began, and goalie Megan Robertson (Nashville, Tenn. / Harpeth Hall) spelled Fine, it was Wentworth that enjoyed the buildup and nearly broke the scoreless tie on a shot from graduate student Diana Bruggeman that hit the crossbar in the 51st minute. The rebound was collected by Wentworth's Jenny Montville whose shot was off frame, sailing over the top of the goal.
As the teams traded possession and strengthened their defensive posture as the game continued, Clark inserted freshman goalie Sophia Steven (Broomfield, Colo. / Peak to Peak Charter) in a high-leverage situation with the game tied at 0-0 and just over 20 minutes remaining. Bruggeman would test the first year netminder with just under four minutes to go on Wentworth's last shot of the contest, which Steven collected. For the second half, it was Wentworth who outshot the Beavers 4-2.
When Caltech began its buildup looking for the opportunity to claim the victory, they were fortunate to get the go-ahead goal when they gained possession off of a Wentworth turnover. As Solgaard probed the Leopards' defense, she went through a pair of Leopard defenders, where she then fired an off-balance shot from the top of the box that struck the far post before nestling into the back of the net. Her unassisted goal at 89:37 proved to be the game winner. With the late goal and solid defensive effort that led to a clean sheet, the Beavers' record improved on the year to 2-0-1 while the Leopards fell to 1-2-1.
Up next from Beantown, the Beavers will take on UMass Boston. The match against the Beacons is scheduled at 10:00 AM, PDT on Saturday, September 10.
To follow the women's soccer program all season long, or all Caltech Athletics, please go to www.gocaltech.com.
