Box Score (Photo courtesy Bill Croney, Northfield News)
NORTHFIELD, Vt. – The Norwich University women's soccer team dropped its 2013 season opener on Friday 2-0 to Johnson State in the first-ever outdoor night game at the newly-renovated Sabine Field.
Freshman forward Maddison Prescott and senior forward Chelsea Hostetter each scored for Johnson State as the Badgers claimed the opening night victory in the inaugural Norwich Women's Soccer Classic.
Prescott scored at the 13:20 mark of the first half by slipping a shot past NU starting goalkeeper Molly Miller (Raymond, Maine) from the right side of the 18-yard box. Miller got a hand on the shot but it wasn't enough to deflect the ball away from the net.
Less than 10 minutes Hostetter increased the lead to 2-0 by tucking a shot from outside the 18 just underneath the cross bar and over the outstretched hands of Miller.
Norwich turned up the pressure in the second half and had its best two scoring chances of the game with Carolyn Valentine (Lake Placid, N.Y.) and Alex Frank (Medford, N.J.) coming close to putting the Cadets on the board.
Valentine had a bid in 62nd minute sail just wide of the left post from the left side of the box. A little over 10 minutes later Frank blasted a shot with her left foot from the top of the penalty box that just missed wide of the net as well.
Johnson State junior goalkeeper Amber McCullock made seven saves to pick up the victory after missing all of last season. Norwich's Miller was saddled with the loss after making five saves on seven shots in the first half before giving way to senior goalkeeper Allison Hull (South Royalton, Vt.) in the second half.
Johnson State takes on Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) tomorrow at 3:30 p.m. at Sabine Field on Day Two of the Norwich Women's Soccer Classic. Norwich returns to action on Sunday when it hosts WPI at 1 p.m. to close out the Classic.
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