Wellesley shocks Endicott in closing second, draws 1-1
Sept. 10, 2008
BEVERLY, Mass. - Wellesley College freshman midfielder Amanda Young (Palos Verdes Estates, Calif.) buried a shot from 15-yards out with :01 left in regulation to help the Blue salvage a 1-1 draw with host Endicott College on Wednesday night in women's soccer action in Beverly, Mass. The tie brings Endicott's record to 1-2-1, while Wellesley opens its season with the stalemate.
The Gulls were first to strike as sophomore Karyn Plante (Sanford, Maine) threaded a slick feed past two Wellesley defenders onto the foot teammate Caitlin Flynn (Southold, N.Y.) who was charging down the far side of the field, creating a 1-on-1 with the goalkeeper. Flynn beat Katie Martore (Great Falls, Va.) to the lower left side of the net, giving Endicott a 1-0 lead.
It would appear as if the 1-0 decision would end in the Gulls' favor, however with six seconds remaining in regulation Catherine Caruso (Belmont, Mass.) gained possession of the ball in the Endicott territory. A heads up play found Amanda Young streaking towards the box, allowing the freshman to sneak a bid past a sprawling Nicole Lawlor (Mansfield, Mass.) to even the score at 1-all just as the clock switched to zeros.
In the bonus session Endicott's Allyson Bellemore (Manchester, N.H.) had a stellar scoring chance just inside the Wellesley box. The junior collected a pass at the top of the square and nailed the crossbar with a solid shot, keeping the score knotted at 1-1. The visitors also had an opportunity to notch a win, as Amanda Young booted a free kick from 40-yards out that hit the underside of the crossbar and ricocheted off to the left of the netminder.
Endicott held a decisive advantage in shots, outshooting the Blue 18-8 in the draw. The Gulls also held a competitive edge in corner kicks, attempting 12 compared to Wellesley's one. Bellemore and Flynn each tallied four shots in the tie, while Young and Ashley Fransworth (Epping, N.H.) led the Blue's offensive chances with two apiece.
Endicott (1-2-1) returns to action on Saturday as the Blue and Green open The Commonwealth Coast Conference play against Regis at 12:00 p.m. Wellesley makes its home debut on Saturday afternoon, as the Blue host Simmons College at the same time.