NEWARK, Del. - - A late goal lifted Jefferson to a 1-0 Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference victory over the Wilmington University women's soccer team on Wednesday afternoon at the WU Athletics Complex.
The game, originally scheduled to be played at Jefferson, was moved to the WU Athletics Complex after the effects of Hurricane Ophelia on the Rams' home field.
The match was evenly played between the two regionally ranked opponents, with both sides creating threatening scoring chances in the first half. But neither team could find the back of the net until the Rams broke through in the 87th minute.
The Wildcats' best chances in the first half came minutes apart, first as Evelyn Payne broke through on the right side, but her shot hit the outside of the near post and went out of bounds in the 18th minute. Emilie Larsen broke loose on that right side again, but the chance was saved out of bounds by the Rams netminder in the 23rd minute.
The pace picked up in the final 20 minutes of play, as both teams went searching for the goal. Evelyn Payne had another shot that was saved in the 74th minute and then Julia Yuhase's second chance opportunity went wide. The Rams nearly scored after taking the ball away from Mio Nakajima outside the 18-yard box, but Dillan Sorino's shot rolled left of the frame.
The Rams eventually broke through late in the 87th minute, creating a turnover and then scoring on a rebound. Kiery Spatz' initial shot was saved by Mio Nakajima, but the rebound popped right to Devin Sullivan who tapped it home with 3:03 showing on the clock.
The shots were tied, 9-9, with the Wildcats putting more on goal, 5-3, and earning more corners, 5-2.
The Wildcats remain home with their next contest, as they face Bloomfield to start a soccer doubleheader at the WU Athletics Complex during the 2023 Homecoming Gameday festivities on Saturday. The women are scheduled for a 1:00 p.m. opening whistle.
