WELLESLEY, Mass. – Springfield College put up two goals in the first half and never looked back in a 3-0 NEWMAC shutout of Wellesley College soccer on Wednesday. The win lifts the Pride to 6-8 Overall and 5-3 in NEWMAC play while dropping the Blue to 6-7-2 Overall and 3-4-1 in conference contests.

Sophomore Molly Baxter (Pleasantville, N.Y.) scored the first goal at the 15:58 mark. Senior Natalia Mottura (Scarsdale, N.Y.) assisted on the play.

Five and a half minutes later, first-year Jessica Perry (Middleboro, Mass.) supplied the visitors' second goal, marking the second of the career for the first-year. 

The Pride nearly added a third goal in the 40th minute when Baxter fired a shot that ricocheted off senior goalie Riley McNair's (Cupertino, Calif.) hands. Blue defender Ella Hong (Buffalo Grove, Ill.) sprinted behind McNair and booted the ball out before it crossed the line, preventing the score.

In the 67th minute, a shot off the post led to a chaotic scramble. Springfield sophomore Avery Ford (Wethersfield, Conn.) came out of the pack and kicked in a goal to give the Pride a commanding 3-0 advantage.

 Wellesley finished with a narrow 16-15 edge in shots taken. Springfield attempted six corners while limiting the Blue to just three. 

Sophomore goalie Mairead Marsden (Amsterdam, N.Y.) recorded a clean sheet with two stops in goal for Springfield. McNair made a pair of saves for the home team.

Up next, Wellesley travels to Clark University for a 2:00 PM conference game on Saturday, October 25. Springfield will welcome Emerson College at 6:00 PM that same day.