Cougars Dominant in Back-to-Back N.E. Games
Women’s Soccer Lights Up the Score Sheet
The HCC women's soccer team played back-to-back New England regional games this week, emerging victorious in both matchups. The Cougars defeated first year program Quinsigamond CC at home on Tuesday before beating Bunker Hill CC on the road on Wednesday. Holyoke put forth quite the offensive output in each contest, racking up several goals before consciously letting off the accelerator. The Cougars earned a shutout in each meeting and are now 5-0-0 this season against regional competition while registering five shutouts.
The Lady Cougars notched 21 goals over the two games, while vastly sharing the wealth of scoring among all their team members. Ten different players had at least one goal in Tuesday's win while seven different athletes scored at least one on Wednesday. No Cougars' player had more than two goals in either matchup and several players scored their first goals of the season. In Tuesday's game, Olivia Neiswanger (Holyoke, MA / Cathedral HS), Alexis Rios (Springfield, MA / Central HS) and Taydrah Clinton (Springfield, MA / Renaissance School) each had a pair of goals with Clinton's being her first goals of the year. McKenzie Wilson (South Hadley, MA / Smith Academy), Allison Zollo (Monson, MA / Monson HS), Catherine Hotham (Southampton, MA / Hampshire Regional HS), Brandy Gallagher (Chicopee, MA / Chicopee HS) and Holly Wardwell (Granby, MA / Granby HS) each scored her first goal of the season, with a goal on Tuesday. Natalie Galindo (Chicopee, MA / Chicopee Comprehensive HS) had a pair of goals in Wednesday's victory and several Lady Cougars had multiple point games over the two contests, including Reilly Jodoin (South Hadley, MA / South Hadley HS) and Jennifer Galindo (South Hadley, MA / Chicopee Comprehensive HS). Goalkeepers MyKaela O'Connell (Brimfield, MA / Palmer HS) and Taca Leon-Velazquez (Springfield, MA / Putnam HS) both played a half in each game, sharing the shutout in each matchup.
The Lady Cougars' next game will be on Saturday October 1 at 12 noon, as Holyoke will travel to Brockton, MA to square off against regional rival Massasoit CC. The Cougars were victorious by a 3-0 score when the two sides met earlier this year in Holyoke. Let's go Cougars!
Photos: (Main) Catherine Hotham takes a shot on goal during an early season game. (Thumbnail) Holly Wardwell dribbles her way through several Bunker Hill players on Wednesday.
