WATERBURY, Conn. - - The Wilmington University women's soccer team is heading to the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Tournament Championship for the first time since 2017 after a 4-1 victory over No. 8 Georgian Court in the Semifinals on Friday at Municipal Stadium.
With the win, the Wildcats (12-4-3) advance to the CACC Tournament Championship on Sunday morning at 10:00 a.m. at LaMoy Field on the campus of Post University. The Wildcats will face No. 3 Jefferson in the title match after the Rams beat No. 2 Holy Family, 3-1, in the first semifinal on Friday.
Junior Jimena Garcia Risoto led the Wildcats on Friday, scoring the first two goals of the game before adding a much needed insurance goal in the second half for her first career hat trick as a Wildcat.
She started the scoring in the 11th minute, as Manuela Restrepo collected the ball off a goal kick. Restrepo then played Garcia Risoto in the box as she brought it down and fired it home with the left foot for the 1-0 lead at the 10:04 mark.
Manuela Restrepo was at it again in the 22nd minute, playing a through ball perfectly between two defenders and in front of the goalkeeper. Jimena Garcia Risoto got on the end of the pass but her initial shot was stopped by Alyssa Dias. But the Second Team All-CACC forward stuck with the rebound and slotted it home for her 12th goal of the year and the 2-0 lead at the 21:11 mark.
Lauren Hoelke gave the Wildcats a 3-0 lead in the first half with her eighth goal of the year following a Wildcats' throw-in. Garcia Risoto played it up over her head towards the box before Hoelke did the same. Hoelke followed her forward passing ball and won a 50-50 ball with the goalkeeper. Her persistence paid off as she was able to slot one home in the open goal at the 30:10 mark of the half.
The Lions (6-12-1) hung tough at the end of the half however, getting on the board to swing momentum in their favor just before the break. The Lions then came out of the half and had early chances, but a shot by Haley Pignatelli was saved by Emily Camp in the 58th minute and then a follow up shot found the back of the net, but the offsides flag was up and the goal wiped off the board.
The Wildcats answered from there and it came off the boot of Jimena Garcia Risoto once more. Kasie Lambert played it forward to Lauren Hoelke and Hoelke played another forwarding pass to Garciai Risoto in the box. She was able to get a final touch on the ball, recording her first hat trick as a Wildcat. The Wildcats led, 4-1, at the 70:51 mark.
The Wildcats outshot the Lions, 13-12, in the contest while the corners were even, 3-3. Emily Camp made two saves in goal for the Wildcats.
The last time the Wildcats defeated the Lions in the CACC Tournament was in the 2012 semifinals. The Wildcats went on to face Philadelphia (now Jefferson) in the Championship, winning their only CACC Tournament Championship, 1-0.
The Rams defeated the Wildcats, 3-0, in the first CACC game of the season. The Wildcats are 2-1 against the Rams in CACC Tournament contests, winning 1-0 in the 2012 Championship at Post, falling 2-0 in the 2014 First Round, and upsetting the Rams, 2-1, in the 2016 First Round.
