SCHENECTADY, N.Y. – The Union College women's soccer team put together a strong defensive effort against a nationally ranked opponent on Tuesday evening, playing #9 Middlebury College to a scoreless draw in a non-conference matchup at College Park Field.
Union hung tough with Middlebury in the opening half, holding a slight edge in possession and matching the Panthers with five shots over the first 45 minutes.
The home team had the first great chance of the match in the 13th minute, when sophomore
Kayla Coviello lofted a shot that beat the goalie but caromed off the bottom of the crossbar and out.
Senior
Maya Koster made a pair of saves midway through the frame to keep the game scoreless, while Union followed later in the period with a pair of good chances off the feet of seniors
Ashley Sheldon and
Taylor Bovardi that were denied by Middlebury keeper Frankie Marston.
Middlebury doubled up Union by a 10-5 margin in shots over the second half, but the Union defense held strong and offered several strong counters at the other end of the field.
Koster made a nice diving save to deny Mariana Rode of a scoring chance in the 55th minute, one of her three saves over the first 13 minutes of the second half. The Panthers did not pick up an on-target shot the rest of the way, as the Union defensive unit played exceptionally well to lock down the Panthers.
The Garnet Chargers' best chance of the second half came in the 67th minute, when a free kick from junior
Addison MacDonald was mishandled by Marston, and Union was just not quick enough to pounce on the loose ball in the goal mouth. First-year
Janalyn Weber also had an on-target shot in the 75th minute for Union, the last for either side.
Middlebury finished the match with a 15-10 edge in shots. Koster made five saves to earn her second shutout in three matches this season, while Marston made four stops for the Panthers.
Union will return to action on Saturday, when the Garnet Chargers take on another nationally ranked opponent in #20 Misericordia University and celebrate their seven seniors with an early-season Senior Day beginning at 2 p.m. at College Park Field.
