Women’s Soccer Falls to Roger Williams University, 5-0

BRISTOL, R.I. – Elms College sophomore goalkeeper Alexa Rinaudo (Bellmore, N.Y.) made 10 saves but Roger Williams University used two goals and two assists from Mariah Kaiser (Portsmouth, R.I.) to help lift the top-seeded Hawks to a 5-0 victory over the eighth-seeded Blazers in Wednesday afternoon's Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division III New England Championship first round game at Bayside Field in Bristol, R.I.

With the loss, Elms concludes its season with an 11-10-1 overall record, while Roger Williams improves to 18-2-3 on the season.

The early going featured back and forth action with Elms controlling the run of play. Roger Williams' Hannah Noel (Adams, Mass.) placed a pair of headers towards goal. Rinaudo made a brilliant diving save on the second of the shots, but the ball came out to Noel who was there for the rebound and gave the Hawks a 1-0 lead.

A shot by Kristen Tetrault (Tolland, Conn.) hit the crossbar and Rinaudo made five more saves to keep the Blazers' deficit at 1-0 heading into intermission.

The Hawks scored again early in the second half when Jessica Valenti (North Reading, Mass.) deposited the second of Kaiser's two assists into the back of the net to extend the lead to 2-0 at the 51:35 mark.

Ten minutes later, Kaiser increased Roger Williams' lead to 3-0 following a feed from Katie Lydon (Riverside, R.I.), and scored again in the 70^th minute of play to further the advantage to 4-0.

Amy Cripps (Exeter, R.I.) capped the scoring for the Hawks in the 87^th minute of action.

Elms had a string of opportunities to score in the final 20 minutes of play when sophomore midfielder Michelle Rossignol (Manchester, Conn.) fired a shot that curled just wide of the post and then another that Stephanie Jaques (Burlington, Vt.) turned aside. Sophomore forward Melissa Welch (Westfield, Mass.) also struck the post with a shot during the stretch.

Welch and senior forward Victoria Cebula (Granby, Mass.) played well in the offensive third for the Blazers making terrific runs down the wing, while senior defenders Ally Witaszek (Feeding Hills, Mass.), Ashley Venancio (Ludlow, Mass.), sophomore Lyndsey Oppenheimer (Easthampton, Mass.) and freshman Kathleen Tuechler (Farmingdale, N.Y.) were stellar in defense.

Senior midfielders Chelsea Carroll (Meriden, Conn.) and Christina Goodchild (East Longmeadow, Mass.) controlled the transition game for Elms. Senior net-minder Hayley Zisk (Baldwinville, Mass.) played the final 21:58 between the pipes for the Blazers.

Jaques made two saves in the winning effort for the Hawks.