Box Score
BOSTON, Mass.—Krista Ledin (Bridgewater, Mass.) scored four goals and added an assist to lead UMass Boston women's soccer (8-4-5, 5-1 Little East) to a 5-0 rout of Plymouth State University (5-11-0, 2-4 Little East) on Senior Day at the Clark Athletic Center Field.
The Beacons honored their six seniors before the contest, as Dani Perkins (Murrieta, Calif.), Brittany Castillo (Yarmouth, Mass.), Ericka Garufi (Milton, Mass.), Amanda Pugliese (Pembroke, Mass.), Cindy Cortés (Medellin, Colombia) and Ledin improved to 34-4-2 in 40 career games at home.
Ledin just missed breaking her own program-mark for points in a game, as she connected with the post on three occasions and hit the crossbar as well. After failing to find the net in the first 20 minutes, Ledin assisted on the team's first goals, and then scored the final four of the contest.
With the four goals, Ledin broke into the top-25 in NCAA Division III women's soccer history, with her 227 career points. She currently is the active leader in points and goals and sits 19th in Division III women's soccer history with her 99 goals and 23rd in career points.
Garufi added a goal and an assist, while freshman Marina Kelly (Whitman, Mass.) added two assists of her own. Pugliese wrapped up the scoring for the Beacons with her second assist of the year.
The Beacons earned their sixth shutout of the season, with Perkins making two stops in 90 minutes of action.
Annaliese Schmidt stopped seven of the twelve shots she faced, to drop to 5-11 on the year. UMass Boston's five goals-marked the second-most goals allowed by Plymouth State all season long.
The Beacons dominated the match from start-to-finish, earning a 28-4 shot advantage and 9-0 edge in corner kicks.
UMass Boston owned the play early on, but couldn't find a way to beat Schmidt in the opening 20 minutes.
Garufi finally put the Beacons' ahead at 21:08 on a broken play. Ledin beat her defender and dribbled into the far-side of the box, before sending a cross into the six-yard box. The ball bounced off of Kelly's foot over to Garufi, before Garufi's shot caromed off of Schmidt, back-to Garufi, and into the net.
The goal immediately opened the flood-gates, as Ledin found the back of the net twice before halftime. She scored her first goal of the day at 23:36, when she received a through-ball from Pugliese and laced a shot just a shot inside the far post for a 2-0 lead.
Ledin added her second of the half at 37:53, when she surprised Schmidt by going near post, after sprinting down the near sideline past two defenders.
The second-half would be more of the same, as Ledin took advantage of a Panthers' miscue for goal number four, and raced past a slew of Plymouth State players to make it 5-0 at 57:56.
With the victory and Western Connecticut State University' loss Saturday, UMass Boston can claim at least a share of their third-straight Little East Conference Regular Season Title next Saturday with a win at Rhode Island College. The Beacons will be back in action on Tuesday though, as they host Bridgewater State in their final home game of the regular season.
