Women’s soccer has been playing great in all three phases of the game as of late. Since their loss to Southern Maine on Sept. 28, the Beacons have won three straight games, with wins against Salve Regina, Rhode Island College and, most recently, UMass Dartmouth. During that span, a much-needed offensive turnaround jolted the Beacons’ offense, scoring at least two goals in each game of their winning streak and three goals in their first two games. Their three-game winning streak is the longest streak they have had this season, and much of that can be attributed to their exceptional goalkeeping, consistent defense and now, the awakened offense that has been led by the Little East Conference rookie of the week.
The Beacons’ 3–0 win against Salve Regina came at the right time, as it gave a morale boost for a team that has played competitively all season and clicked in many phases of the game. However, it was their offense that held them back from their true potential, but in the past few games, their offensive production has been revived and has now been the key factor of their winning streak. A lot of their offensive success can be attributed to their consistency in getting shots on goal, and to the playmaking of LEC rookie of the week, freshman Mckenna Hallinan.
Hallinan was a driving force of the offense in the last three games, scoring goals in every game, which happened to be her first three of the season and of her career. She also had an assist in the Beacons’ game against Rhode Island College on Oct. 8 (1).
It wasn’t just Hallinan’s extraordinary playing that helped the Beacons win these games though; there were several contributors that propelled the team. Their offensive output is thanks to their constant attacks that resulted in an abundance of shots on goal. The Beacons have outshot their opponents 37–20 since their loss to Southern Maine, including an outburst of 20 shots on goal against Rhode Island College. Their game against the Anchormans was a battle until the finish, but the Beacons pulled away, thanks to a goal by Hallinan in minute 72, just 16 seconds after Rhode Island had tied the game at two. Goals were also scored by Callia Eaton, her second of the season, assisted by Hallinan and Olivia De Sousa, who scored her first of the year just before the first half came to a close, assisted by Sarah Kelley (2).
Following their win against Rhode Island College, the Beacons beat UMass Dartmouth in a match on Oct. 12, winning by a score of 2–0. Hallinan solidified her honor as player of the week with a goal in her third consecutive game, assisted by Kaylee Haynes. Nour Chouiki also scored her first collegiate goal, assisted by Caleigh Sullivan (3). The Beacons outshot the Corsairs 11–8, while also generating more shots on goal in the process, having four shots on goal to UMass Dartmouth’s three. Their shutout win was also the third shutout of the year for goaltender Maria Spylios, which goes to show how superb the goalkeeping has been since the beginning of the season.
Not only has the goalkeeping been excellent, the Beacons’ recent success can be credited to the display put on both offense and defense, with defensive play holding the teams to a limited number of shots, while the Beacons’ offense generated higher shot output and multi-goal games as a result of attacking the net. Their recent win streak came at the most pivotal point of the season too, as their wins over Rhode Island College and UMass Dartmouth gave them the tiebreaker over both teams, giving them a higher rank in the LEC standings, which in turn helped them pave the way for a playoff spot (4).
The Beacons’ offense came to life at a critical time in the season, as playoff season begins to loom and substantial matchups are foreseen. Their start to the season really dug the team into a hole that they had to climb out of. Now, with their recent winning streak, momentum and confidence are back on the Beacons’ side after the team has found a spark in their offensive game plan. Looking ahead, with matches coming up against tough teams like Keene State College and Tufts University (5), the Beacons will have to keep up their outstanding playing, and more importantly, their offensive resurgence if they want to come out of those games with season defining victories.
McKenna Hallinan – 2022 – Women’s Soccer – UMass Boston (beaconsathletics.com)
Women’s Soccer vs UMass Dartmouth on 10/12/2022 – Box Score – UMass Boston (beaconsathletics.com)
Roll Beacs! Women’s Soccer Blanks Salve Regina, 3-0 – UMass Boston (beaconsathletics.com)
2022 Women’s Soccer Schedule – UMass Boston (beaconsathletics.com)