Vacarino Nets Two Goals, But Women’s Soccer Falls to New Hampshire, 3-2

On senior day the women’s soccer team hoped to send LaShawna Epps, JoAnne Jackson, Katie McKay, Naomi Opaleye, and Arielle Tagger out in style but they were just edged out by New Hampshire in the final minutes and lost, 3-2.

In the game junior Sandra Vacarino scored two goals. First she redirected a free kick from Christine Sadowski in the eighth minute to give UMBC a 1-0 lead.

But New Hampshire got the team back by half time. Monique Lamotte stole the ball from the defense and got it past Mo Van Vlerah’s head, who recorded four saves in the game.

Then in the 49th minute Shaunna Kaplan made a long run down the left side and shot the ball tot he far post and got it in for the lead.

UMBC would not back down though. Vacarino scored her second goal and fourth of the season off a cross from Katie Gitlin in the 53rd minute.

While the defense played well to keep New Hampshire at Bay, Morgan Keefe headed in a free kick from Meg Wiley in the 83rd minute, which UMBC could not comeback from.

With the loss UMBC drops to 1-6-0 in the conference and eliminating them from the America East conference tournament. Ad None of the bottom three teams can get enough points to knock out New Hampshire, meaning the field of six is set.

Right now the bottom three teams are Vermont (1-3-2= 5 points), Hartford (1-5-1= 4 points), and UMBC (1-6-0= 3 points) and they still have a chance to finish in seventh place. Again if Hartford loses and UMBC win then Hartford is in last place. Or if Hartford and Vermont tie Hartford would have five points and with a win UMBC would have six points and with a tie UMBC would have five points, but with a head-to-head win over Hartford they would be eighth place.