‘Cats Defeat Hawks 1-0, Clinch Playoff Berth

Sunday, October 20

West Hartford, Conn.

1:00 PM

University of New Hampshire

8-6-0, 4-2-0

Hartford

7-6-1, 4-2-0

New Hampshire

Hartford

(Photo by Helene Bartsch)

Photo by: Helene Bartsch

10/20/2019 4:18:00 PM | Women's Soccer

Box Score

UNH makes the playoffs for the sixth straight season.

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – The University of New Hampshire women's soccer team is playoff-bound for the sixth straight season after senior Ally Reynolds (Weymouth, Mass.) tallied the lone goal of the contest on a penalty kick early in the game as the Wildcats defeated the Hartford Hawks, 1-0 on Sunday afternoon.

The Wildcats held a team scoreless for the fifth time this season, with a four save effort from sophomore Cat Sheppard (Nesconset, N.Y.), for her second straight shutout.

The win moves UNH up to third in the America East conference standings with 12 conference points.

UP NEXT:
The Wildcats have two regular season games remaining before the start of the America East tournament. They travel to Long Island next Sunday, October 27, to take on the Stony Brook Seawolves.

GAME INFORMATION:
Date: October 20, 2019
Location: Al-Marzook Field – West Hartford, Conn.
Attendance: 673
Score: UNH 1 (8-6-0, 4-2-0), Hartford 0 (7-6-1, 4-2-0)

HOW IT HAPPENED:

A Hartford foul in the box in the 14^th minute gave UNH a penalty kick opportunity, its first of the season. Ally Reynolds fired a shot to the lower left corner, beating the 'keeper to give UNH a 1-0 lead.
The Hawks got two chances late in the half to try and equalize; on a rush, Hartford sent a through ball past then UNH backline to an awaiting, rushing striker but the shot was blocked by the leg of a diving Cat Sheppard and the ensuing corner kick was missed for a UNH goal kick.
In the final five minutes, Hartford got space at the top of the box and fired a shot, but it was blocked away UNH defender Caitlyn Keenan (Bow, N.H.).
In the 62^nd minute Reynolds tried for her second; on an offensive possession with several blocked chances, the ball finally came to Reynolds on the right side of the net; she lofted a shot high and on target but it was just tipped over the net by Hartford 'keeper Maia Perez.
Hartford's Kaila Lozada had a point-black shot on net in the 76^th minute but the shot attempt was suffocated by Sheppard and it was cleared out for another Hartford shot that went wide.
The Wildcats were able to hold off the Hawks in the final 10 to hold on to their 1-0 advantage.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS:

The Wildcats were outshot by the Hawks in total, 14-8, but shots on goal were even at 4-4.
Hartford controlled the ball the majority of the game with 62% possession total to UNH's 38%.
UNH had one corner kick in the second half; Hartford had six total in the game.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE:

For the second straight game, the shots on goal total was even between UNH and its opponent. The Wildcats are now 2-2-0 when the shot total is even.
This is the second time this season Cat Sheppard has posted two shutouts in a row; her previous two games were against Army West Point at home on September 15, and UMBC on the road on September 22.
Reynolds has UNH's last two penalty kick makes; the first of the two came last season at Arizona State in a 2-1 victory.
The Wildcats have made the America East tournament in every season of the Steve Welham era.

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