By Sean Savage
@SeanSav13
Thanks to Meredith Healy, Natalia Mottura and Co., history has been changed.
For the first time ever, the Springfield College women’s soccer team (2-0-1) beat No. 21 Williams College, 1-0, in a joust on Saturday.
And the deciding moment came with less than ten minutes left to play.
With the game locked at zero a piece, Healy found herself with the ball on the right flank matched up against Piper Dupies. Healy touched her right foot, allowing her to cruise past Dupies before finding herself tucked against the sideline.
In an instant, Healy dialed up a Bangu: a play in which the ball is passed at an angle on the ground around the penalty box, allowing all teammates to be onside.
Meeting the ball was Mottura, who slotted home the game-winning goal.
She passed the ball into the back of the net – right down the middle – as Ana Bozzi-Mackay was pulled off her line due to Healy’s positioning after beating Dupies.
The shot was the second and last on target for the Pride, who had eight total shots on the afternoon.
“I looked at Meredith, and we saw each other; I knew that it was coming to me,” Mottura said.
A spark of adrenaline surged following the play, which allowed the Pride to hold on through the game’s dying embers.
As the clock ticked to 00:00 – displaying a scoreline of 1-0 – the Pride stormed onto the field. They ran to Taryn Ryan, who had eight saves through ninety minutes of play.
“It was a huge win,” assistant coach Brendon Boates said ahead of their next game on Saturday, home against Rhode Island College.
A day prior, Williams outshined Tufts, the No. 4 team in the nation, 2-1. The Ephs, who are now 1-1-1, are also building on a dominant showing last season when the team made it to the second round of the NCAA tournament.
Quite simply, naysayers knew all odds were against the Pride.
“We talked about it before the game,” Boates said. “In our opinion, it wasn’t a David versus Goliath situation. For that, you have to have a tiny or weak team facing an insurmountable team. We didn’t think we were that.”
Graduates Gabby Scott and Maddie Daigneault also led the team, each playing for the duration of the game.
“They help us keep our standards and expectations really high for each game,” Mottura said. “They help us play each game as if it were a championship. They help us get through the game a lot mentally.”
The tandem was able to shut down all scoring opportunities from the Ephs.
“Gabby Scott and Maddie Daigneault were ridiculous,” Boates said. “We are thrilled that they are back. Just what a performance by those two.”
The visitors had 17 shots, but the two did a stellar job forcing Williams attackers into hard angles, making Ryan’s job a lot easier.
However, 74 minutes into the game, visiting fans were left gawking at the sight of what should’ve been a goal. A ball was lofted over the Pride’s backline, and Elizabeth Stophel found herself with only the keeper to beat.
But as the ball fell to her foot, a bad touch allowed Ryan to harp on it just in time. Williams fans let Stophel hear it with sighs coupled with flailing arms.
Kaitlyn Suller, the Pride’s midfield maestro, strung together another noteworthy performance. In the middle of the pitch, she shut down captain Tori Huang, who scored in her team’s last outing.
On the offensive front, Suller was pivotal in creating attacking opportunities and switching the field.
“Every single person gave 100 percent today,” Mottura said. “Every single person who came onto the field and the bench had so much energy. Everyone had so much grit and determination.”
Moreover, Mottura blissfully highlighted that the team “is a force to be reckoned with.”
Photo: Springfield College Athletics