Women’s Soccer Open 2024 Season With Heartbreaker

Catelyn Hodge scored the lone goal in MCLA's loss to Nichols this afternoon

Catelyn Hodge notched her first collegiate goal in MCLA's 2-1 defeat to Dean College

August 30, 2024

NORTH ADAMS, Mass.—The MCLA Women's Soccer team kicked off their 2024 season with a loss at home to the Dean College Bulldogs. Catelyn Hodge notched her first collegiate goal to give the Trailblazers an early lead, but Kara Murphy scored a second-half equalizer, and Lisette Ayala put the Bulldogs ahead with less than 70 seconds on the clock.

THE BASICS:

Date: Friday, August 30, 2024
Score: Dean 2, MCLA 1
Records: Dean College Bulldogs 1-0-0 (GNAC 0-0-0) | MCLA Trailblazers 0-1-0 (MASCAC 0-0-0)
Series History: Dean leads the series 2-0-0 and won the previous matchup on September 1, 2023, by a score of 5-1.

HIGHLIGHTS

First-year midfielder Catelyn Hodge (Schenectady, NY) tallied her first collegiate goal in the 23rd minute, putting MCLA up 1-0. Sophomore forward Addison Gates (Buskirk, NY) cleared a path for Hodge, who intercepted a failed clear attempt by a Bulldog defender. Hodge fired off a shot from about 20 yards out that sailed into the upper right corner of the goal. Hodge's marker was the only one for either team in the first half.
Dean managed an equalizer in the 69th minute when Kara Murphy popped up a shot that looped over the MCLA keeper and landed just inside the goal. Lani Watkins was credited with an assist on the play.
The teams continued to volley back and forth until Lisette Ayala scored the game-winner for the Bulldogs in the 89^th minute. Jazlyn Estella lofted a pass ahead of Ayala, who managed to stay onside and got to the ball for a tap-in from about 12 yards out just before colliding with the MCLA keeper.
Dean keeper Haley Gaunt stopped 11 of 12 shots on goal to pick up the win and advanced her record to 1-0-0 while the Trailblazers' keeper Mallory Amirian (Haverhill, MA) made eight saves on ten shots on net, but still saw her record fall to 0-1-0.

UP NEXT:

On Day, MCLA will be back in action when they play host to Wentworth Institute of Technology for a non-conference matchup with the Leopards at Shewcraft Field. The teams will take the pitch for a 6:30 p.m. kickoff.