Women’s Soccer Rallies Past Mitchell 4-2, Nabs First NECC Win
October 5, 2019

Women’s Soccer Rallies Past Mitchell 4-2, Nabs First NECC Win

QUINCY, Mass.- Behind a second-half brace by junior Victoria Hern (Salem, N.H.), the Eastern Nazarene College women's soccer team topped Mitchell 4-2 Saturday afternoon at Veterans Memorial Stadium to collect its first conference victory of the season.

The Lions improve to 2-7-1 on the year and 1-2-0 in the New England Collegiate Conference with the win. The Mariners fall to 3-6-0 overall and 0-2-0 in league competition with the outcome.

The visitors netted the game's opening goal in the 11th minute to claim a 1-0 edge. J'Naya Kelly smashed in her fourth marker of the season with a left-footed effort inside the box.

The home team equalized in the 33rd minute to knot the match at 1-1. Diamond Best (Danvers, Mass.) headed home her fourth tally of the fall, finishing off a corner kick delivered into the box by Maider Ruiz de Erenchun (Acosta, Alava, Spain).

The two teams headed into the halftime intermission level at 1-1.

Eastern Nazarene generated 15 first-half shots with three shots on goal. Mitchell managed two shots in the opening stanza with just one attempt on frame.

The Lions snagged a 2-1 lead in the 47th minute. Hern buried her second goal of the season, rifling a left-footed shot into back of the cage. Sam Bernardi (Longmeadow, Mass.) picked up her team-leading second assist of the fall on the go-ahead score.

The Mariners responded in the 48th minute to even the contest at 2-2. Lindsey Fairbank fired a direct free kick that caromed off the crossbar and landed inside the goal-line for her fifth marker of the year.

The hosts regained a one-goal advantage, 3-2, in the 59th minute as Hern netted her second goal of the match, lofting a long-range attempt over the goalkeeper and into the far post.

Eastern Nazarene widened the gap to 4-2 in the 75th minute. Ruiz de Erenchun notched her first collegiate tally as she drilled a direct free kick through the hands of the goalkeeper from just outside the box.

The Lions concluded the contest with 26 shots and six corner kicks earned. The Mariners produced seven shots on the day while earning three corners.

Senior goalkeeper Griselda Minchaca (Whitter, Calif.) registered a pair of saves in her seventh start of the season.

Looking ahead, Eastern Nazarene will host Dean October 16 in midweek matchup.          

Box Score

Team Stats