Leopards Win Second Straight, 3-0 Over Salve Regina

BOSTON, Mass. – Freshman forward Stephanie Crockett (Bedford, Mass.) scored a goal and added two assists while classmate Jess Gardner (Wilbraham, Mass.) made five saves to record her second straight shutout as the Wentworth women's soccer team won its second straight game with a 3-0 win over Salve Regina in a The Commonwealth Coast Conference contest played at Sweeney Field.

Wentworth came out of the gates with two quick scoring attempts within the first 1:17, however a save by Seahawk senior Katie Vaudrain (Pawtucket, R.I.) and a defensive stop of a ball headed toward an open net left the Leopards with nothing to show for it.  Crockett would get the only goal Wentworth would need at the 6:55 mark when she broke free down the left side and, after Vaudrain attempted to tip the ball away, found an open net.

The game would remain 1-0 until the 58:02 mark when Crockett took a corner kick that sophomore midfielder Jess Cutler put home to the upper left corner of the net.  Crockett would provide the helper on the Leopards third goal when she served a cross to the right side where junior defender Jess Kruger (Belmont, Mass.) headed it home.

Salve Regina would control play in the late stages of the game and would have its best chance to get on the board in the 84th minute when a shot by freshman forward Kaitlyn Birrell (Hope, R.I.) ricocheted off the right post.  Over the final 45 minutes the Seahawks held a 10-5 shot advantage.

Gardner made three saves in the first half and a pair in the second half to record her third shutout of the season and extend her scoreless streak to 380:26.  Vaudrain turned aside five shots for Salve Regina, which held a 14-13 shot advantage and had eight corner kicks, compared to three for the hosts.

The back-to-back shutouts are the first for the Leopards since Oct. 7-9, 2006, and Wentworth improves to 5-9 overall and 4-5 in league play.  Salve Regina drops to 8-6 overall and 5-4 in TCCC.  Both teams are in action on Saturday afternoon with Wentworth hosting the University of New England at 1:00 and Salve Regina hosting Colby-Sawyer at that same time.