Box Score SPRINGFIELD - No. 5 Smith College advanced to the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Semifinals with a convincing 5-1 win over No. 4 Springfield College in quarterfinal action Tuesday afternoon. The Pioneers last appeared in the conference semifinals in 2009.

Records

• Smith: 8-6
• Springfield: 9-9

Highlights
After dropping their regular season match in a close 5-4 loss, Smith came energized to rewrite their team's story. 

The first point of the match came in the number two doubles position. Olivia Monos (Wyomissing, PA/Wilson) and Marielle Sauber (The Woodlands, TX/The John Cooper School) played a great combination of steady and aggressive doubles. The duo exchanged games with Suozzo and Rosselli of Springfield until 5-4, where Smith won two straight games to go up 7-4. At 7-4, Monos and Sauber dropped their service game, but remained focused to close out the match 8-5 and start building momentum for Smith. 

In the number three doubles position, senior Ashley Felix (El Paso, TX/Americas) teamed up with sophomore Alexa Monos (Wyomissing, PA/Wilson). The pair had a tough match up, facing Fulgeri and Elliot from Springfield. The teams had contrasting styles, and Felix and Monos continued to exchange games with their opponents.  At 7-6 down, Felix and Monos played gritty doubles, saving a match point, to get to 7-7 to force a tie-break. In the tie-break the pair from Smith continued to battle, but Springfield was able to secure the point and level the match score 1-1. 

Lili and Clara Goshgarian (Lake Forest, IL/Lake Forest) had an incredible battle in number one doubles. Manataweewat and Heany-Secord from Springfield started strong and jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead. The Goshgarians scrambled to win a game and make the score 3-1 when there was a short rain-delay on court. After a short pause in play, the teams picked up where they left off, and although Springfield won the next game, going up 4-1, Lili and Clara their groove. The duo from Smith held their next service game closing the gap to 4-2, but Manataweewat and Heany-Secord answered and held their own service game going up 5-2. Lili and Clara dug deep to capture momentum; they won the next three games making it 5-5. At 6-5 down, the pair played lights out tennis to tie the match up again and then win the next game going up 7-6. At 7-6, the energy on all three courts was electric! Smith was fired up to take the lead coming out of doubles. The one team from Springfield wasn't done, and managed to break the Goshgarian's serve to force a set tie-break. At the start of the tie-break, Smith went down 2-0, but quickly settled into their game plan and won 5 quick points to go up 5-2. At 6-3, the Goshgarians closed out the match and secured the 2-1 lead for Smith going into singles! 

The team went out strong to start singles play. Smith quickly went up on all six courts of play. In conference action, the match is played to decision - the first team to win 5 matches - meaning that some matches may not be completed.  

The third point of the day came in number five singles, where Alexa Monos (Wyomissing, PA/Wilson) only dropped one game over McGoldrick of Springfield. She played energized, lights-out tennis to get the 6-0, 6-1 win. 

The fourth point of the day came in the number three singles position, where Clara Goshgarian (Lake Forest, IL/Lake Forest) took on Veronica Fulgieri in a rematch of their regular season match-up from the 2022 season. The pair exchanged games early, but at 3-2, C. Goshgarian upped her level of play to capture the first set 6-3. In the next set, Fulgieri came out strong, winning the first game to give herself the 1-0 lead in the second. Goshgarian answered, winning 6 straight games to put Smith within one point of clinching the match and giving her the 2-0 lead in their head-to-head.

The match was clinched almost simultaneously on courts six and one. 

In the number six position, senior Ashley Felix (El Paso, TX/Americas) got off to a quick start, winning her first set 6-1. In the second set, Aberle from Springfield steadied up, and jumped out to an early lead. At 4-3 down, Felix was behind in the game to give her opponent the chance to be a game away from securing the second set. Felix stayed steady and won the game to level the match. At that point, Felix won the next two games to give her team the 5-1 win and to secure their spot in the NEWMAC semi-finals. 

Lili Goshgarian (Lake Forest, IL/Lake Forest) finished her match moments after Ashley Felix (El Paso, TX/Americas). On the number one court, Lili played incredibly steady tennis making it impossible for her opponent to get into the match. At match point up, L. Goshgarian looked over to Felix's court to see her clinch the match for her team. With extra energy knowing her team had secured their semi-final berth, Goshgarian went to the line to serve out her match winning 6-2, 6-2 before the team's post match celebration! 

The courts that didn't finish were having incredible matches. Marielle Sauber (The Woodlands, TX/The John Cooper School) made her conference debut in the number two singles position after an incredible regular season. Sauber jumped out to a quick lead playing aggressive tennis. At 3-2 up, her opponent, Heany-Secord, upped her level of play to win 4 games and secure the first set 6-3. In the second set, Sauber got back into her groove, as her and her opponent exchanged games. Sauber had the lead in the second, stopping at 4-3 when the match was decided. 

In the number four position, Olivia Monos (Wyomissing, PA/Wilson) took on Taylor Suozzo in what is becoming a heated rivalry between these two sophomores. Suozzo of Springfield has the lead in the head-to-head 2-0, but O. Monos came on court ready to change that record. Both athletes played gritty tennis doing whatever they could to disrupt play for their opponent. O. Monos had the lead, but at 5-5, Suozzo was able to secure the game, putting her one game away from the first set. At set-point down, O. Monos played an incredible point, but Suozzo was able to secure the set. The pair did not get to start the second set since right as they finished the first the match was decided. 

Results
Doubles
No. 1 Lili Goshgarian (Lake Forest, IL/Lake Forest)/Clara Goshgarian (Lake Forest, IL/Lake Forest) (SMI) def. R. Mantaweewat/Gabby Heaney-Secord (SPR) 8-7
No. 2 Marielle Sauber (The Woodlands, TX/The John Cooper School)/Olivia Monos (Wyomissing, PA/Wilson) (SMI) def. Kate Rosselli/Taylor Suozzo (SPR) 8-5
No. 3 Alexa Monos (Wyomissing, PA/Wilson)/Ashley Felis (SMI) def. Veronica Fulgieri/Alyssa Elliott (SPR) 8-7

Singles
No. 1 Unfinished Lili Goshgarian (Lake Forest, IL/Lake Forest) (SMI) vs R. Mantaweewat (SPR) 6-2, 5-2
No. 2 Unfinished Marielle Sauber (The Woodlands, TX/The John Cooper School) (SMI) vs Gabby Heaney-Secord (SPR) 6-3, 2-3
No. 3 Clara Goshgarian (Lake Forest, IL/Lake Forest) (SMI) def. Veronica Fulgieri (SPR) 6-3, 6-1
No. 4 Unfinished Olivia Monos (Wyomissing, PA/Wilson) (SMI) vs Taylor Suozzo (SPR) 5-6
No. 5 Alexa Monos (Wyomissing, PA/Wilson) (SMI) def. Kelly McGoldrick (SPR) 6-1, 6-0
No. 6 Ashley Felix (El Paso, TX/Americas) (SMI) def. Emma Aberle (SPR) 6-1, 6-4

Up Next
Smith will travel to No. 1 Babson for a semifinal match with the Beavers Saturday at 11:30am. 

About Smith Athletics: Smith College is a NCAA Division III member of the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference that sponsors 11 intercollegiate sports. For more information log on to smithpioneers.com and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.