The Massachusetts women’s soccer team beat the George Washington Revolutionaries, 2-0, Thursday evening, claiming its first win in Atlantic 10 conference play.
The Minutewomen (4-2-2,1-0 A-10) got off to a hot start, securing two early goals by the seventh minute of the first half, leaving the Revolutionaries (3-3-2, 0-1 A-10) to play from behind. Keeping the intensity high and pressure on them, UMass continued to dominate offensively and defensively, achieving the team’s fourth shutout of the season.
“This is what we have been really looking for the last five years,” head coach Jason Dowiak said. “The way we start games gives us a lot of ease so we can continue to manage the game throughout the rest of the way.”
The first goal of the game occurred at the three-minute mark, as junior midfielder Bella Recinos juked out a George Washington defender. She made her way around the goalkeeper to knock a ground ball into the back of the net. Senior forward Grace Pinkus assisted in Recinos’ third goal of the season.
Just three minutes later, in the sixth minute, defender Juliana Ryan out-ran a George Washington player to send a long cross past the net. The ball reached Recinos, who missed her chance to take a shot but bounced the ball off her foot, where forward Ashley Lamond lined up perfectly and sent it into the corner of the net, setting UMass up 2-0.
With the two goals, the Minutewomen ended the afternoon with 12 shots against Revolutionaries’ goalkeepers Rosa Hemans and Ainsley Lumpe.
Continuing with its home-field domination, UMass returned to Rudd Field after a week on the road and won its third straight home game. Paired with the Minutewomen’s fourth shutout of the season, three of them have occurred on the team’s home turf. This is also the third 2-0 win UMass has had at home.
Keeping George Washington scoreless, senior goalkeeper Bella Mendoza ended the game with two saves, both occurring in the second half. The Minutewomen’s defense presented a strong front that took the Revolutionaries almost an entire half to break through.
“We’re very big on not conceding goals. It means so much to us that we can keep it out of the back of the net,” Mendoza said. “Perfect game, can’t get better than that.”
Since the start of the season, Mendoza has taken on the full 90-minute goalkeeper role with other goalkeeper Megan Olszewski still nursing a knee injury. Mendoza has not backed down from the new challenge.
“Bella’s voice is just so huge for us this season. She’s really commanding directions and gives information that helps us get organized,” Dowiak commented.
As the team prepares for its next A-10 opponent, Dowiak noted that “every game is a battle,” in the conference.
The Minutewomen continue with their A-10 matches as they travel to play Dayton on Sunday, Sept. 17 at 1 p.m. The game will also be streamed on ESPN+.
Samantha Sands can be reached at [email protected] and followed on Twitter @samantha_sands_
