COLCHESTER, Vt. - Junior
Sarah Gormley (East Moriches, N.Y./Westhampton Beach) struck for the first two goals, including the fastest to begin a game in Northeast 10 Conference history, sending the 24th-ranked Saint Michael's College women's soccer team past Assumption University, 5-0, on Wednesday at Duffy Field. The Purple Knights are tied for 24th in this week's United Soccer Coaches national poll while sitting third in the East.
RECORDS
- Saint Michael's (6-0-2, 2-0 NE10), Assumption (2-4-1, 0-2 NE10)
SAINT MICHAEL'S LEADERS
- Gormley, 2 goals
- Junior Scarlett Brookes (Rockaway, N.J./Morris Knolls), 1 goal, 1 assist
- Junior Delaney Kleinman (Center Moriches, N.Y./Center Moriches), 1 goal
- Junior Jules Peterson (Massapequa, N.Y./Massapequa), 1 goal
- Sophomore Chloe Laizer (West Springfield, Mass./West Springfield), 6 saves
OPPONENT LEADERS
- Junior Kaylin Hebert, 3 saves in 72:47, loss
- First-year Emily Hickey, 1 save in 17:13 of relief
GAME FACTS
- The Purple and Gold ran its regular-season unbeaten streak to 15 games (13-0-2).
- The Purple Knights defeated Assumption at home for the first time since Oct. 8, 2011.
- Saint Michael's is now off to the best start in program history, surpassing last year's seven-game unbeaten run (6-0-1).
- Gormley's first goal came just 13 seconds into the contest, the fastest goal from the start of a game in NE10 history, and good for a tie for 10th in NCAA Division II annals. The last player to score quicker was Alex Mathis of Limestone University on Sept. 13, 2018, in 12 ticks. Gormley shattered the school record for the fastest goal after Meghann Kelly '00 tallied after 30 seconds against Vermont State University Johnson on Oct. 27, 1998.
- Brookes tied Rachel Hatch '93 for seventh in program history in career points (59), passing Kelly (58) along the way.
- Laizer picked up her 22nd career win in her 28th start while registering her 15th shutout.
- Despite the score line, Saint Michael's held slim leads in shots (14-11) and corner kicks (4-2).
THE ACTION
- Gormley struck 13 seconds in for the go-ahead strike, converting a sequence that began with junior Lola Follansbee (Grafton, Mass./Grafton) passing ahead for Brookes, who drew Hebert out before sending forward for Gormley to tally on a vacated net.
- Laizer maintained the 1-0 lead midway through the 23rd minute, tipping away sophomore Lilina Shiers' breakout bid with her legs.
- The Purple Knights pulled away with four second-half goals, scored in a matter of 22:57.
- Gormley had the first, carrying around the edge of the box before firing a right-footed shot from the left corner into the right netting just 1:04 into the second period for another quick strike.
- Sophomore Elizabeth Schoeneberger nearly halved the deficit a little more than a minute later, but Laizer denied her point-blank bid.
- In the 54th minute, junior Sam McDonough's (Walkersville, Md./Walkersville) long free kick rolled across the box, where Kleinman caught up and slipped a shot back across and inside the left post beyond a diving Hebert.
- Peterson was fouled in the box and buried the ensuing penalty kick during the 67th minute before sophomore Adney Brannigan (Nantucket, Mass./Nantucket) sent a lead pass up the right sideline in the 70th minute for Brookes, who hit the upper netting for the final tally.
NEXT SAINT MICHAEL'S GAME
- Saturday vs. Pace University, 12 p.m.
- The Setters are receiving national votes this week and sit fourth in the East.
- The Purple Knights celebrate Senior Day that day.
