WOMEN’S SOCCER: AMCATS upended by Simmons in GNAC Encounter

The Basics:

Score: Simmons College 10, Anna Maria College 0

Records: Anna Maria College (0-7, GNAC 0-4), Simmons College (4-3-2, GNAC 3-2-1)

Location: Paxton, Mass. (AMCAT Field)

The Lead: Simmons College had little trouble in defeating Anna Maria College in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) women's soccer game Wednesday evening, 10-0. Senior Kashka Gammon (Nashua, N.H.) tallied three goals to lead the way, while junior Mikayla Elliott (Lowell, Mass.) contributed two goals and two assists and classmate Ciara Forde (Quincy, Mass.) added two goals and one assist.

How It Happened:

-The Sharks came out strong with four goals in the first six-plus minutes to set the tone for the game. Elliott opened the scoring with her first of the night, set up by sophomore Sienna Caron (Easthampton, Mass.); Forde followed a minute later with an assist from Elliott; and Gammon knocked in consecutive goals from Elliott and Forde to make it 4-0 just past the six-minute mark.

-Freshman Cierra Martin (Rock Tavern, N.Y.) and junior Zoe Weik (Litchfield, Conn.) tallied goals just three minutes apart later in the first half to give the visitors a 6-0 lead before the intermission.

-Gammon finished off her hat trick with a goal in the first minute of the second half, assisted by freshman Darschelle Desronvil (Brockton, Mass.), and Forde tallied her second of the night 10 minutes later, set up by Caron's second assist. Senior Alyssa Marceau (North Adams, Mass.) got into the scoring action with a goal on a beautiful free kick in the 65th minute, and Elliott rounded out the scoring five minutes later as junior Mallory Cottam (Hope, R.I.) picked up her second assist.

-Anna Maria managed just two shots in the second half, one each by sophomore Shannon Leblanc (Lancaster, Mass.) and freshman Maddie Hill (Douglas, Mass.)

Inside the Numbers:

-Forde pushed her team-leading totals to seven goals and two assist for the Sharks, while Gammon upped her season marks to six goals and two assists. Elliott now has three goals and a team-leading four assists.

-It was the first goal of the season for Marceau, Weik and Martin.

-Senior keeper Casey Halle (Watertown, Mass.) earned the victory for Simmons without making a save in the first half, while junior Lauren Williams (Bowdoinham, Maine) made one save in second-half action.

-Sophomore Gabriella Eldredge (West Boylston, Mass.) and freshman Arielle McCabe (Medford, Mass.) combined for nine saves in the AMCAT goal.

Up Next:

After four straight home games, Anna Maria plays its next three on the road, beginning Saturday with a GNAC mat-up at Albertus Magnus College (1:00 p.m.) Simmons returns to the pitch with a GNAC contest Saturday at Rivier University (1:00 p.m.)

* * *