SOUTH HADLEY, Mass. – First year defender Dylan McDonald tallied with just under eight minutes remaining and the goal stood as the game-winner to life Bard College past Mount Holyoke College, 1-0 in non-conference action on Saturday. With the win, the Raptors move to 7-8-1, while MHC is now 9-6-1 on the season.
McDonald (Seattle, Wash./Ballard) corralled the loose ball inside the box and launched a shot into the bottom right corner, catching the MHC keeper out of position. The Lyons had a corner kick opportunity shortly after the goal, but the Raptors closed out the contest with another saved shot, this time off the foot of sophomore forward Avalon Qian (San Francisco, Calif./Drew School).
It was a fairly even game to open the match as a pair of early shots from Bard sophomore Gemma Godfrey (Earlville, N.Y./Sherburne-Earlville) tested MHC keeper Zoe Marshall (Mississauga, Ont./Cawthra Park Secondary School).
Mount Holyoke had a nice chance early as first year midfielder Dale Leonheart (Petaluma, Calif./St. Vincent de Paul) sent a hard ball in on senior goalie Ryan O'Connell (Staten Island, N.Y./Brooklyn Technical), who was able to make the stop.
The teams traded shots at the end of the frame as Bard headed into halftime with a 6-3 edge in shots on goal and a 5-0 advantage in corner kicks.
In the second half, both teams had their chances, but it was Bard that carried the momentum, holding a 6-1 advantage in shots on goal. McDonald had a nice attempt in the 63rd minute, rifling a shot in on goal that caromed off the crossbar and out.
Mount Holyoke nearly had a chance to take the lead minutes later, but a shot by first year defender Avia Jacobs (Calabasas, Calif./Sierra Canyon) went just left of the net after a nice feed in from the middle by senior forward Ashleigh Hartsock (Stevensville, Md./Kent Island).
Bard continued to hold control, setting up the goal in the 83rd minute to grab the victory. The Raptors held a 16-8 advantage in overall shots (12-4 on goal) and also had an 8-3 edge in corner kicks for the game.
O'Connell earned the win with four stops in the Bard goal. Marshall had six stops over the first 45 minutes before giving way to first year Amanda Manaster (Beverly Hills, Calif./Beverly Hills), who shouldered the loss with a five-save effort.
Mount Holyoke is back on the pitch on Tuesday, hosting NEWMAC-rival Smith at 6pm. Bard concludes its regular season schedule on Wednesday when it hosts Liberty League-foe Vassar at 7pm.
