BOSTON, Mass. – Senior Tori Pierce's (Tiverton, R.I.) second goal of the contest, coming with 4:57 remaining in regulation snapped a 3-all tie and lifted the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth women's soccer team to a 4-3, non-conference victory over Wentworth Institute of Technology.
The host Leopards got the lone goal of the first half when freshman Mary Annon (Concord, N.H.) served a corner kick that found junior Olivia Moore (Salem, Conn.). Moore fed the ball back to Annon, who drilled a shot to the upper left corner at 20:56.
UMass Dartmouth got the first of its four second half goals just 2:09 into the frame when senior Kathleen Landers (Danvers, Mass.) gained possession of a loose ball off a defensive misplay in front of the net fired a low shot into the net. Eight minutes later the Corsairs took a 2-1 lead when freshman Talia D'Ambrusio (Warwick, R.I.) capitalized on a Wentworth turnover and pushed a shot inside the right post.
At the 62:50 mark, sophomore Valeria Zapata (Pawtucket, R.I.) was taken down in the box, resulting in a penalty kick. Moore stepped up and pushed a shot past senior keeper Michelle Miller (Westford, Mass.) to tie the game at 2-all.
Landers fed Pierce to give UMass Dartmouth a 3-2 lead at 68:54 before Moore netted her second of the game when she capitalized on a Corsair turnover and went in alone on a breakaway at 81:49.
Pierce tallied the game-winning goal when she came in alone on the Leopard defense and beat junior keeper Nicole Leahey (Warwick, R.I.) to the left side.
Miller made nine saves for UMass Dartmouth while Leahey made seven saves for the Leopards. The Corsairs held a 21-15 shot advantage and a 6-4 advantage on corner kicks.
With the win UMass Dartmouth improves to 3-2-1 and hosts Rhode Island College on Saturday. Wentworth falls to 1-4-1 and is at Nichols, also on Saturday.
