MCLA Bests Women’s Soccer, 4-3 in Double Overtime

CHICOPEE, Mass. – Elms College freshman forwards Marissa Yowell (Ashland, Mass.) and Hannah Spring (South Hadley, Mass.) each scored a goal for the Blazers, but MCLA received four scores on set pieces including three corner kick strikes from Jennifer Ferrari (Westfield, Mass.) to help lift the Trailblazers to a thrilling 4-3 double overtime victory in Saturday afternoon's non-conference women's soccer game at Leary Field.

With the loss, Elms falls to 1-3 on the season, while MCLA improves to 1-2 overall.

After playing to a 3-3 tie at the end of regulation, Elms roared out to a fast start in the first period of extra time firing five shots at MCLA but could not find the scoring touch as Trailblazers' goalkeeper Danielle Heinsohn (Norfolk, Mass.) made four saves during the stanza.

Three minutes into the second extra frame, MCLA struck for the sudden victory goal when Lindsay Borbolla (Greenwich, N.Y.) delivered her third corner kick service to Ferrari who headed the ball into the back of the net giving the Trailblazers a hard-fought, 4-3 win.

Heinsohn finished with eight saves between the pipes, while Elms' freshman goalkeeper Alexa Rinaudo (Bellmore, N.Y.) suffered the loss making seven saves for the Blazers.

Elms drew first blood when MCLA suffered an own goal in the 21^st minute of action giving the Blazers a 1-0 lead. Freshman forward Jillian Pirog (Ludlow, Mass.) then found Yowell who blasted the ball into the right corner of the net, extending Elms' advantage to 2-0 at the 33:21 mark of the first half.

Borbolla cut the Trailblazers' deficit in half at the 61:57 mark when she scored on a free kick, and then hooked up with Ferrari for the first of three corner kick goals to knot the contest at 2-2.

With 21 minutes to play, Spring received a beautiful through ball from freshman defender Emily Brown (Agawam, Mass.) and juked the keeper at the 18-yard box and laced a shot into the middle of the net putting Elms on top, 3-2. One minute later, MCLA scored the equalizer again taking advantage of the success of the corner kick tandem of Borbolla and Ferrari.

Yowell led Elms with seven shots, while Borbolla and Ferrari had six each for the Trailblazers.

Elms returns to non-conference action on Wednesday, Sept. 12 when it hosts Westfield State University at 7:00 p.m. at Leary Field.