COLLEGEVILLE, Pa. – Senior midfielder
Gwyn Krystkiewicz netted the game-winning goal in the 86th minute, lifting the Ursinus women's soccer team to a crucial 1-0 victory over Washington College on Wednesday evening at Patterson Field.
With the victory, Ursinus improves to 6-3-2 overall and 2-2-1 in Centennial Conference action. The Shorewomen fell to 5-5-1 on the season and 0-3-0 in conference play.
Krystkiewicz's goal in the final minutes of the game marked her second goal of the season and third game-winning goal of her career. The victory marked the first for the Bears over the Shorewomen since a 1-0 victory in Collegeville in October 2018.
Washington College created the early pressure on the Bears' defense, firing shots on target in the first and third minute, but both were denied by the Ursinus backline and first-year netminder
Lexie Albaeck. Juniors
Kaleigh Evans and
Taylor Pezulich answered with shots on target for the Bears, but both were turned away.
Ursinus earned a corner at the 31:51 mark, which led to senior
Maddie Jolie nearly connecting on a goal as her attempt deflected off the post and out of play. Senior
Sam Wechsler and sophomore
Lily Ballard each recorded shots for Ursinus to close out the first half as the contest entered halftime tied at 0-0.
The Bears carried the momentum into the second half as senior
Josie Parson posted consecutive shots on target during the 45th minute. On the second attempt, Parson slipped past the Shorewomen backline, but her left-footed attempt inside the box was saved by Washington College's netminder.
Washington College responded by firing a shot off the woodwork in the 61st minute before consecutive corners were turned away by the Bears' defense at the 62:24 mark. The Shorewomen increased the pressure over the final 20 minutes of action before Krystkiewicz's goal came at the 86:01 mark.
A foul occurred just outside the box, leading to a free kick for the Bears from about 25 yards away. Krystkiewicz delivered a low shot under the Shorewomen wall, finding the left corner of the goal to give Ursinus a 1-0 lead with 4:20 remaining in the contest. The Bears' defense denied a pair of chances from the Shorewomen in the closing moments en route to the shutout victory.
Washington College held a 17-10 lead in shots, with the Bears earning an 8-7 edge in shots on goal. The Shorewomen posted a 4-3 advantage in corner kick opportunities. Albaeck earned her fifth career shutout, posting seven saves. Washington College's Olivia Allen suffered the loss, tallying seven saves in 90 minutes of action.
The Bears return to action on Saturday, October 15th, as they travel to No. 15 Swarthmore College for a Centennial Conference matchup at 1 p.m.
