South Hadley, Mass. - September 18, 2019 - Despite a pair of goals from senior captain McKenna Lamb (Redlands, Calif.), the Mount Holyoke College soccer team fell to visiting University of Saint Joseph, 3-2, in non-conference play at the MHC Soccer Field on Wednesday evening.
Mount Holyoke College participated in the United Soccer Coaches "Play with Pride" project and wore rainbow laces in their cleats to raise awareness for the importance of inclusion of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community. These efforts encourage participation in all activities by LGBT coaches, athletes, referees, administrators and fans; and welcome all allies in our organization's ongoing effort to be a leader of inclusion in the sports world.
With the loss, the Lyons fall to 1-4-1 on the year, while the Blue Jays improve to 5-1 to start the season. Saint Joseph registered 37 shots compared to the Lyons' 15, while Saint Joseph also had eight corner kicks to Mount Holyoke College's one.
In net, Lea Sleiman (Beirut, Lebanon) made her first collegiate start and had a stellar performance, collecting seven saves, six of which were in the first half. Blue Jays' goalie Lindsay Montminy (Vernon, Conn.) was equally as impressive, as she made six stops to preserve her fourth win of the year.
The Blue Jays got off to a fast start as the visitors recorded eight shots in the first 12:26, before Mount Holyoke College's Minerva Veeser-Bobea (Arlington, Mass.) and Cora Melcher (Portland, Maine) registered back-to-back shots just 35 seconds apart, which both sailed wide.
Saint Joseph had its best chance of the first half in the 27th minute when Sleiman made a stop of Rylee Snow (West Greenwich, R.I.), but the rebound bounced to Sierra Romie (Newington, Conn.), who settled the ball and rocketed a shot off the post, keeping the score sheet clean.
The Lyons' best chance of the stanza came in the 37th minute when first-year Paige Osborne (Philadelphia, Pa.) snuck behind the Blue Jays' back line, but Montminy came up with a point-blank save to keep Mount Holyoke College at bay. The game would enter halftime scoreless.
It took just 4:29 into the second half for the Lyons to get on the board, as Melcher sent in a corner kick which went to Sarah Forster (Worcester, Mass.), who touched the ball back to Lamb. Lamb controlled the ball and lifted a shot up and over Montminy to make it 1-0, Mount Holyoke College.
The Blue Jays erased that lead just 3:58 later when Melissa Lux (Plainville, Conn.) sent in a corner kick which bounced through the scrum and hit the leg of Lamb before going into the back of the net. From there, Saint Josesph would score in the 69th and 71st minute to make it 3-1, before Lamb struck for the second time, burying a direct free kick from 30-yards out with 14:44 to play.
Although the Lyons continued to attack down the stretch, Montminy and the Blue Jays' back line held tough to seal the victory.
Up next, the Lyons will open New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) play and will travel to Emerson on Saturday, September 21 for a 1 p.m. match with the Lyons.
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