SOUTH HADLEY, Mass. -- A pair of first-half goals by Addie LeGault proved enough for Emmanuel College to hold on for a 2-1 win over the Mount Holyoke College soccer team in a non-conference game played Thursday evening at the MHC Soccer Field.
The visiting Saints (6-1-1) outshot the Lyons (1-5) by a 31-12 margin, including a 19-7 difference in shots on goal.
LeGault put the Saints on top 1-0 in the 15th minute of play, cleaning up with the rebound after Mount Holyoke junior goalie Shannon Breen (Upper Saddle River, N.J.) made a diving save to stop a shot from the left side by Liz McCormick.
The Saints doubled their lead with under two minutes to go in the half. McCormick's pass in the penalty area set up Sarah Dullaghan for a point-blank shot at the goal. Breen staved off the shot, but LeGault was there again for the rebound and the easy putaway.
Emmanuel controlled play in the half, owning a 24-6 advantage in shots with 14 landing on frame, keeping Breen busy with 11 first-half saves.
Mount Holyoke made it a one-goal game during the 60th minute as first-year midfielder Anna Kennedy (Glendale, Wis.) received a slick pass from sophomore Hannah Keochakian (Amherst, Mass.) on right side of the box, then slid the ball under Emmanuel goalie Patricia Kirejczyk's reach and inside the far left post. The goal is the first of Kennedy's career.
The Saints almost got the goal right back, as Breen was forced to make big saves in the 62nd and 65th minute to keep the Lyons within striking distance, before she was relieved in goal by first-year Clarissa Govea (Pico Rivera, Calif.) in the 67th minute.
The Lyons had a great look to tie the game with 13:49 to play following an Saints foul that gave the hosts a free-kick from 35 yards out. The kick led to a bouncing ball inside the Saints box. First-year Ada Siepmann (Vlotho, Germany) got her foot on the ball but not enough, and she poked a shot towards the far post that trickled wide to keep the score at 2-1.
LeGault had a chance to put the game away with multiple opportunities over the final few minutes of play but Govea came up with several big saves but the Lyons offense was unable to get the equalizer as the Saints hung on for the 2-1 road win.
Breen finished with 13 saves in 66 minutes of action, and Govea added three saves in the final 24 minutes. Junior defender Echo Haverkamp (Philadelphia, Pa.) stopped a first-half shot from scoring to record a team save.
Sandra Griffith started in goal for Emmanuel and made four saves in a shutout first half to earn the goalie victory. Kirejczyk tallied two saves in the second half.
Mount Holyoke will return to action on Saturday with its first home NEWMAC game of the season, facing MIT at 1pm.