Box Score WENHAM, MA—Three unanswered goals in the middle 30 minutes of the game lifted the Gordon Women's Soccer team over visiting Emerson College on Tuesday. The Scots trailed early in the contest, but they found their scoring groove late in the first half and completed a 3-1 come from behind victory over the Lions.
As the schedule continues to get tougher and with injuries piling up, the Scots have had to find different ways to keep an eight-game winning streak alive. For a team that relied on an explosive offense in their first quarter of the season, goals have been harder to come by with improved competition.
Emerson (6-5) challenged the Scots from the opening bell—daring them to push more people forward to set up a counter-attack. The Lions got their wish in the 15th minute.
Following a foiled scoring attempt by the Scots, Emerson's Alyssa Giannone broke through Gordon's defense on the right side of the field. Giannone sidestepped two Scots' defenders and poked a ball on the ground, right through the middle of the goal box. The Scots tried to clear the centered pass, but Courtney Major got a touch on the ball to push it past McKenzie Dion (North Grafton, Mass.) for a 1-0 lead.
The Scots (10-1) were stymied by an Emerson defense that had game-planned for Gordon's attacking style. The Lions packed in the center of the field to prevent the crossing balls and for 35 minutes, their defense remained fortified.
However, Gordon's relentless attack could only be held at by for so long. After a few near misses, the Scots finally broke the seal with only 10 minutes remaining in the first half. Kendra Woudenberg (Whitinsville, Mass.) found the feet of Taylor McSherry (Wolcott, Conn.) on a cross, which McSherry finished with ease to tie the score at one.
With less than two minutes remaining in the first half, Gordon found the back of the net a second time. This time Woudenberg and McSherry changed places. McSherry skipped a corner kick into the six-yard box and Woudenberg tipped the pass into an empty net.
McSherry added her second goal of the game—eighth of the year—early in the second half on a through-ball by freshman Kara Dry (Madison, Conn.). Dry lined a pass directly through the middle of the field—leading McSherry up the field. McSherry beat her defender and ran onto the ball before forcing a shot past Allie Altman. The Emerson keeper was able to get one hand on the ball, but she could not fully stop the momentum of the shot.
The Scots outshot the Lions 20-6 in the game and put 12 of those shots on net. Altman made nine saves in the loss, while Dion made two for Gordon. The sophomore keeper remains undefeated in starts this season.
Emerson travels to WPI on Saturday for a conference matchup, while Gordon begins a two-game away trip at Nichols on Saturday morning. The Scots are currently 3-0 in conference play, while the Bison are 0-3.
