SCHENECTADY, N.Y. – The Union College women's soccer team scored once in each half and senior goalie
Maya Koster made the lead stand up as the Garnet Chargers increased their unbeaten streak to eight matches and clinched a postseason spot with a 2-0 victory over Skidmore College in Liberty League action on Wednesday afternoon at College Park Field.
The win keeps Union (6-3-6, 4-0-3 Liberty League) in second place in the conference standings with only two matches remaining and also clinched a spot in the Liberty League Tournament for the second straight season.
Sophomore
Kayla Coviello and senior
Taylor Bovardi scored the goals for Union, who were outshot by a 20-12 margin but used timely offensive play and a unbreaking backline to pull out another victory. Koster had easily her busiest game of the season on Wednesday, making 10 saves to post her first double-digit total in more than two years.
The first half was evenly played between the two squads, with both teams taking eight shots toward goal and the visitors holding a slight edge in possession. The Thoroughbreds came out firing with seven shots over the first 17 minutes, but two stops from Koster kept the visitors off the board.
Union settled in offensively over the next half-hour, taking seven shots of its own. After two shots were stopped by Sophia Sayers to keep the match scoreless, the Garnet Chargers finally got on the board in the 40th minute thanks to Coviello, who took a cross into the box by first-year
Sevilla Coffin, trapped the ball down past a defender, and poked a shot past an onrushing Sayers for her first collegiate tally.
Skidmore (6-5-2, 2-4-1 Liberty League) came out with a purpose to start the second half, putting Union on its heels from the opening kick and generating numerous goal-scoring opportunities. The Thoroughbreds outshot Union 12-4 in the half, but Koster made seven saves – including a beautiful parry over the bar in the 87th minute – to preserve the shutout.
Union made its first attempt of the second half count in the 71st minute, getting a key insurance goal. Senior
Hannah Sams took a free kick from 35 yards out that one-hopped its way to the back post, where Bovardi was there to redirect it home for her third goal of the season.
The shutout is Koster's eighth of the season and 14th of her career, moving her up into a tie for fourth on the school single-season list and into sole possession of fourth place on the school career ledger.
Union will close out the home portion of its regular-season schedule on Saturday with a 2 p.m. match against #12 William Smith College.
