Four-Game Losing Streak Snapped With 4-1 Win at Nichols

(Courtesy of Nichols Sports Information)

DUDLEY, Mass. – Freshman midfielder Elizabeth Somma (Windham, Maine) netted a hat trick to lead the Wentworth Institute of Technology women's soccer team to a 4-1 road The Commonwealth Coast Conference victory at Nichols College Monday afternoon. The win snapped a four-game losing streak for the Leopards, who improve to 2-6 overall and 1-2 in TCCC action. Nichols falls to 2-5 overall and is still searching for its first conference win at 0-3.

Somma had the Leopards' final three tallies of the day, netting the game-winner in the 40th minute. After Danielle Weiler (Becket, Mass.) tapped a free kick her way at the outside right corner of the box, Somma sent it deep into the opposite corner of the net for a 2-0 lead.

Freshman midfielder Deborah Lesky (Newton, Mass.) put the visitors on the board in just the 11th minute when she collected a clear attempt that deflected off a Nichols defender and shot it low past the left of Bison starting goalkeeper Nicole Johnson (Westhampton, Mass.).

Gina Williamson (Westfield, Mass.) set up Bison leading scorer Samantha Abro (Northborough, Mass.) for her eighth goal of the season early in the second half, sending a ball up to her in the box. Abro headed the ball on net, only to be denied by Leopards netminder Jess Gardner (Wilbraham, Mass.). Gardner couldn't control the ball and Abro placed it just inside the left post to narrow the score to 2-1 in favor of the visitors.

But Somma scored two less than five minutes apart to put the game out of reach, first tallying a penalty kick goal in the 55th minute before finishing a pass from Kat Gonzalez (Middlebury, Conn.).

Gardner made six saves in her first win of the season. Johnson took the loss with five saves in 58 minutes before giving way to Andrea D'Antuono (West Greenwich, R.I.), who made one save in the rest of the game.

Nichols takes a break from conference action in a 4 p.m. game at Becker Thursday, while Wentworth hosts Gordon Saturday at noon for a TCCC game.