Box Score WORCESTER, Mass.--GiGi Ross (Colt's Neck, N.J./Colt's Neck) scored the game's only goal, and Cody Norris (Auburn, Mass./Auburn) made nine saves as the Smith College soccer team recorded a vital 1-0 win over Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) in New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference play on Tuesday evening.

The win ends a two game losing skid for Smith, who improve to 6-7 overall and 3-4 in the NEWMAC.  WPI is now 5-8 and 1-5 in NEWMAC games.  Smith now has nine points in the NEWMAC standings, the most since 2007; the six wins also represent the highest total since the Pioneers went 14-7-1 in the 2006 season.

Ross got the game winning goal just five minutes into the contest, volleying home a cross from Olivia Mallari (Waterford, Conn./Waterford) for her fourth goal of the season past WPI goalie Maddie Willer.  Smith nearly doubled the lead two minutes later, but Lily Eriksen (Seattle, Wash./Bush School), making her first career start, planted a header wide.

Aidan Hitt (Arlington, Va./Yorktown) nearly gave Smith a two goal advantage just before halftime, but her shot was saved by Willer and the followup attempt by Jordan Houston (Logan, Utah/Logan) flew over the crossbar.

WPI threw everything at Smith in search of an equalising goal, outshooting the Pioneers 11-0 in the second half, but Norris made six saves after halftime to keep the Engineers at bay. 

Smith will now return home for their final three games of the season, beginning with a visit from Clark University on October 20 at 1 p.m.  WPI will host Framingham State in a non-conference match on Thursday, October 18 at 7 p.m.