Sports

Lone goal lifts MIT past Claremont-Mudd-Scripps

An early goal gives MIT’s nationally ranked women’s soccer team the desired win

For the third time this season, MIT’s women soccer team, ranked 25th in the nation and third in the region in the latest National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) poll, earned a one-goal victory as the Engineers defeated Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, 1-0, on Sunday morning at Roberts Field at Steinbrenner Stadium. The Engineers and Athena’s were originally scheduled to face-off on Saturday, September 6 at 7:00 p.m., but due to inclement weather the game was postponed to the morning of Sunday, September 7.

MIT’s Jennifer R. Ibanez ’16 scored the game’s lone goal at 8:26 in the opening stanza following a feed from Olivia M. Struckman’17 outside the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps box. Struckman reversed direction while being defended outside her opponent’s box and located Ibanez, who lofted a shot past goalkeeper Molly Freed into the top left corner of the Athena’s goal.

Tech tried to extend its lead later in the session with attempts by Ambika M. Krishnamachar ’15 and Page Uriarte ’16, but both shots sailed to the right of Claremont-Mudd-Scripps’ goal. MIT finished with six shots — four in the first half — and three shots on goal. Krishnamachar led the Engineers with two shots, but Claremont-Mudd-Scripps’ Laynee Laube paced all players with three shots.

Claremont-Mudd-Scripps concluded the match with 10 shots, seven attempts in the second half. Laube, and Darrah Shields combined for the game’s final three shots, but goalkeeper Lauren S. Ullmann ’17 turned away each attempt. Ullmann, who finished with a season-best nine stops, has pitched four consecutive shutouts this season and eight in an Engineers uniform.

MIT returns to action on Wednesday, September 10 when they travel to Tufts University for a 4 p.m. kickoff.