Kneeland Tallies Career-High 24 Saves; AMCATS Fall to Simmons 2-0

BOSTON, Mass. – Freshman goalkeeper Kate Kneeland (Windham, Maine) tossed aside 24 of the 26 shots she faced in today's Great Northeast Athletic Conference match, but her efforts fell short as the Anna Maria College women's soccer team fell to Simmons College, 2-0. 

Junior midfielders Ali Berkman (Natick, Mass.) and Victoria Russo (Braintree, Mass.) each scored a goal to provide the offense for Simmons. The Sharks have won five of their last six matches, all shutout wins, and improve to 6-5-2 overall and 5-2-0 in league play, while the AMCATS fall to 6-7-1 and 1-5-1.

Simmons was on the offensive for the majority of the match, dominating the shot total by a count of 39-6 and owned a commanding 9-0 advantage on corner kicks.

The first 25 minutes of the match were scoreless until Berkman directed a corner kick she received into the Anna Maria keeper with her head. Berkman was able to corral the ball with her body on the rebound and basically pushed the ball in with her body for her third marker of the season at the 25:38 mark for the Sharks. Russo increased the Simmons lead to 2-0 at 72:45 of the second half when she put penalty kick into the right corner for her first collegiate goal.

Junior goalie Briana Hayes (Manorville, N.Y.) posted her third straight shutout with three saves and has allowed just one goal in her last 462:54 minutes of play for the Sharks. 

The AMCATS will be back in action on Monday, as they host The University of Saint Joseph in a GNAC tilt at noon.