NEW LONDON, N.H. – First-year Sofia Blanco (Marshfield, Mass.) scored twice to lead the Colby-Sawyer College women's soccer team to a 2-0 shutout victory over in-state rival New England College in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) action on Wednesday afternoon at Kelsey Field.
Rapid Recap:
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Colby-Sawyer grabbed the advantage early in the first half. In the 15th minute, senior Ellie Smith (Plymouth, Mass.) slid a pass into the box for Blanco, who tucked it away at 14:50 to give the Chargers a 1-0 lead.
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The Pilgrims tested Colby-Sawyer's defensive back line with eight second-half shots, but the Chargers repelled every threat before Blanco struck again.
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Blanco created space at the 74:09 mark and drove home an unassisted finish to secure her brace and extend the cushion to 2-0.
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Colby-Sawyer's defense and goalkeeping unit held firm through the final 15 minutes to lock down the clean sheet and secure three crucial conference points.
Inside the Numbers:
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Blanco accounted for all the scoring with her first multi-goal game of the season, raising her season total to four goals.
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Smith collected her fourth assist of the campaign on Blanco's opening game-winner.
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The Chargers' Senior Lyndsey Valletta tallied nine saves—three in the first half and six in the second—to keep NEC off the board.
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Colby-Sawyer outshot the Pilgrims 17-12 (11-9 on target), while NEC held a slight 5-4 edge in corner kicks.
Up Next:
The Chargers (4-5-2, 2-3-2 GNAC) hit the road on Saturday, October 10, traveling to West Hartford, Conn. for a conference matchup against University of Saint Joseph's (Conn.) with kickoff scheduled for 12:00 PM.
