UMass Boston Women’s Soccer has been riding the ups and downs of their 2023 season so far, but in this rollercoaster that’s featured highs and lows, the Beacons hope for one more massive push to the top of the Little East Conference. Then again, it’s the daunting task of journeying there that’ll prove to be difficult down the stretch.
According to Beacons Athletics, women’s soccer has been the epitome of a “middle of the pack” team: one that has played exceptionally well in some matches, whereas in others, poor play is highlighted by careless mistakes and lack of execution, all of which has contributed to an alarming number of defeats. After their match against UMass Dartmouth Wednesday, Sept. 27, the group went into last weekend sporting a 3–3–3 record (1), which, although it looks aesthetically pleasing, is far from the record they hoped to have this far into the year.
Going into their weekend matchup against Elmira College Saturday, Sept. 23, the Beacons held a 2–2–2 record. After ruffling the Soaring Eagles’ feathers with a 2–0 win, they wanted to keep their winning trend going. Beacons Athletics noted that in their win, UMass Boston made a splash early; their two goals on the day both came within the first 20 minutes of the match. Andrea Rivera netted a goal just two minutes after kickoff for her fourth, while Callia Eaton matched Rivera with a goal of her own in minute 20. The Beacons’ defense was put on full display all night as well, eating up all of Elmira’s passes, fastbreaks and shot attempts. The team ended up outshooting the Soaring Eagles 11–1 in shots on goal, grounding their chances of making any sort of progress offensively. (2)
Things were looking up for the Beacons, but Roger Williams University had their eyes set on defeating them, and the Hawks’ sharp play saw them avenge their coexisting, feathered counterparts in Elmira with a 3–1 win. The first half was sloppy for the Beacons to say the least. There were many occasions where they could have had some fastbreak opportunities with an opening to shoot, but they were turned away by Roger Williams’ defenders. Many of the teams’ shots were grounders to the Hawks’ goalkeeper, who swallowed the shot pretty easily before continuing play.
On the flip side, turnovers in the neutral and defensive zone for the Beacons allowed Roger Williams University to run away with the game early. The most irritating part of the scorecard, though, was that all three goals could have been prevented if not for mistakes on the end of the defense. Roger Williams’ first goal came off of a breakaway, and the shot that followed suit wasn’t a pretty one, but it certainly was effective. A second goal was added not long after; a goal kick from Isabella O’Connell translated into a disastrous series of events after a turnover in the Beacons’ defensive zone allowed for a steal and score for the Hawks. A third goal before the half, followed by a near-fourth off a half-ending corner kick rubbed more salt in the wounds for the Beacons, though a Kaylee Haynes goal in the second half was a bright spot on the night.
Nonetheless, their match against the Hawks is one that women’s soccer will want to forget and move on from, and they had the chance to do so in a Wednesday night rivalry against UMass Dartmouth Sept. 27. Despite the 1–1 draw, the Beacons and Corsairs battled in what may be the game of the year in the Little East Conference. According to Beacons Athletics, O’Connell stood on her head with six clutch saves, but a costly penalty committed by the Beacons in the closing minutes of the game put their undefeated conference record in jeopardy, let alone a record at .500 or above. The infraction gave the Corsairs a monumental moment after scoring in minute 79, a would-be game winner in 999 of 1000 matches. Fortunately, this match was the outlier, and Chloe Shapiro heroically scored the tying goal two minutes later, allowing for the match to end in a tie at one-all.
The Beacons’ resilience against the Corsairs puts both of the team in a much better position and light when referring to how their 2023 season has gone. The unlikely draw against UMass Dartmouth proves this team fights with intensity and grit until the final buzzer sounds after 90 minutes, and that type of play is exactly what the Beacons need as the season winds down. With more games on the horizon, there’s hope that their match against the Corsairs carries their biggest momentum boost yet, because now that they’ve shown they’re capable of facing adversity, it can give them the confidence they’ve needed to play as great as they anticipated to be. It’s up from here from the Beacons, and it’s only a matter of time until they pop off and define themselves as top contenders for the LEC championship.