Story Courtesy of UMass Athletic Communications
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – University of Massachusetts women's soccer scored four unanswered goals to come from behind 3-0 in the second half to pick up a 4-3 victory at Harvard on Monday night at Jordan Field.
Freshman Monica Curry scored her first collegiate goal, before notching her second for her first career brace, while adding an assist for six total points.
The Minutewomen improve to 3-0-0 overall, while the Crimson moved to 0-2-0 on the season.
Harvard scored within the first five minutes of the contest to make it a 1-0 match. The Crimson were awarded a corner kick, as Írena Héðinsdóttir Gonzalez sent the ball into the six-yard box. With the ball bouncing, Anna Rayhill was able to get a foot on it, before Ólöf Kristinsdóttir chipped it in the back of the net.
Kristinsdóttir tallied her second goal for Harvard, to take a 2-0 lead at the 12:02 mark. Jasmine Leshnick of the Crimson kicked the ball from outside the 18-yard box, with Peyton Costello defending the ball off the line, but Kristinsdóttir was there to chip the ball into the lower left side of the goal.
Harvard made a 3-0 game on a penalty kick taken by Jasmine Leshnick at 36:51.
Massachusetts got on the board in second half at the 51:27 mark. Amelia Deren was taken down in the box and awarded a penalty kick. Deren capitalized on the opportunity, finding the lower left corner of the net to make it a 3-1 match.
Nia Hislop notched a goal about three minutes later to make it a one goal deficit at 3-2. Curry dribbled the ball past midfield on a breakaway and sent the ball up towards the 18-yard box. Hislop beat out the Harvard defender to the ball and booted it passed the goalkeeper to the lower right side of the goal in the 55th minute.
The Minutewomen knotted up the contest, 3-3, in the 65th minute. As Massachusetts had a throw in, Curry corralled the ball and took a left-footed shot that sailed to the lower right side of the net to mark her first collegiate goal.
UMass took a 4-3 lead at the 85:54 mark as Curry secured her second goal of the match. Amanda Schultz tapped the ball in front to Curry within the box, as Curry fought off a Harvard defender and pushed it past the goalkeeper to the low center of the goal.
Harvard outshot Massachusetts, 25-11, which included 12 shots on goal to UMass' seven. The Crimson also had the advantage in corners, 12-1, on the night.
Curry posted a career-best four shots, with all four on goal, followed by Deren with three shots and Hislop with two. Deren, Hislop and Aline Traber all had one shot on frame.
Junior goalkeeper Leah Nisenfeld stopped eight shots and allowed three goals through 90 minutes of action. Olivia Busby of Harvard allowed four goals and made three saves in 90 minutes of play.