Box Score BOSTON, Mass.--The Smith College soccer team suffered their first defeat of the season with a 4-0 loss to Simmons College on Wednesday evening. The Pioneers fall to 2-1, while Simmons improves to 2-2.
Desh Perera scored twice for the Sharks, who defeated Smith for the first time.
After twenty minutes of predominately midfield play, the Sharks broke the stalemate as Perera collected the ball at the half field and sent a rising shot toward the goal. The ball sailed over Pioneers goalkeeper
Alanna Lynch (Trumbull, Conn./Trumbull) and the Sharks took a 1-0 lead.
Just two minutes later, the Sharks struck again as junior Keri Acheson found an opening in the box and beat Lynch low left side. Lily Eriksen (Seattle, Wash./Bush School) had Smith's best chance of the first half with 17 minutes remaing, but was denied by a point blank save by Simmons goalkeeper Briana Hayes. The Pioneers followed with a corner kick from Innis Hitt (Arlington, Va./Yorktown), which resulted in a shot by Aidan Hitt (Arlington, Va./Yorktown), but Hayes was there for the save.
In the opening minutes of the second half, both teams had quality changes as first year Tegan Dougherty tested Lynch and Eriksen shot a low ball just wide of the Sharks' net. Marissa Pellegrino drilled a ball of the left post but the Pioneers were able to clear the zone.
Eight minutes into the second half, sophomore Ali Berkman sent a high shot top center and beat Lynch for a 3-0 Sharks lead. Simmons defender Issy Verrilli spoiled a breakaway opportunity by Eriksen three minutes later before Perera tallied her second goal of the night on another high shot from the 25-yard line.
The Pioneers had another breakaway opportunity when Jordan Houston (Logan, Utah/Logan) slipped past the Sharks defense, Hayes came sprinting out of the goal and made a sliding save to keep the shut out intact.
Smith will return to the Boston area on Saturday, for a 1 p.m. matchup with Endicott College. Simmons will host Mount Ida for a 1 p.m. tilt on the same day.
(Parts of this story courtesy Simmons Sports Information)
