Women's Soccer Preview: Wheelock

Chris Kendrick (@CKendrick86)

CHICOPEE, Mass. – The Elms College women's soccer team will close out their 2014 regular season schedule with a road trip to Wheelock College for a New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) tilt Saturday afternoon at Noon.

The Blazers own an 8-8-1 record on the season, and a 7-1 mark in NECC, to sit in the second spot in the conference standings. Elms is riding a seven-game unbeaten streak, where the Blazers haven't surrendered a goal to their opponents while netting 22 goals of their own. For the season, the Blazers are averaging 1.8 goals on 16.4 shots, while holding opponents to 1.64 goals per game on 10.6 shots.

Sophomore defender Kylen O'Hearn (Somers, Conn.) is the Blazers leading point scorer, ranking sixth in the NECC in goals (8) and seventh in points (16). Junior defender Michelle Rossignol (Manchester, Conn.) had tallied nine points as the Blazers' leading distributor with a team-high five assists. Sophomore forward Rachel Connell (Easthampton, Mass.) and freshman midfielder Jackie Soucia (Belchertown, Mass.) have eight points with three goals and two assists apiece. Junior goalkeeper Alexa Rinaudo (Bellmore, N.Y.) has been brilliant in net for Elms, posting a 1.58 goals against average (GAA) with a .735 save percentage, 75 saves and 27 goals against. Rinaudo leads the NECC in shutout with nine, and ranks fourth in GAA and fifth in goals against.

Wheelock has amassed a 3-13-1 record through 17 games this season, with a 1-7 record in NECC play. The Wildcats have dropped six of their last seven matches, with their lone win coming in a 5-0 victory at Daniel Webster. Offensively, Wheelock is generating 1.88 goals on 13.1 shots, while surrendering 4.64 goals on 25.5 shots per contest to opponents.

Leading the way for the Wildcats is sophomore forward Alison DeGloria (Chelmsford, Mass.) with a team-high nine goals with an assist. Sophomore forward Courtney Adams (Holliston, Mass.) had chipped in six goals, while senior midfielder Rachel Noiseux (Merrimack, N.H.) and sophomore defender Kira Firenze (Hawthorne, N.J.) have each added four goals on the year. Wheelock has split goaltending duties between sophomore Madeleine Grover (Jamaica Plain, Mass.) and Meghan Lewis (South Berwick), who have combined to record a 4.71 GAA, a .693 save percentage with 178 saves and 79 goals allowed.

In the history of their matchup, Elms is undefeated against Wheelock College, posting a 12-0 record over the Wildcats since 2003. Last year, the Blazers registered their most decisive victory over the Wildcats with an 11-0 drubbing.

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