Women’s Soccer Waltzes Past Wilmington In CACC Quarterfinal

Newark, Del.– The University of Bridgeport women's soccer team started their mission to retain the CACC Tournament Title Sunday afternoon with a convincing 4-0 win over Wilmington University. The victory sees the Purple Knights through to the conference semifinals which will be hosted at Knights Field on the campus of the University of Bridgeport. UB's overall season record improved to 8-7-3 with Sunday's win.

Bridgeport came into Sunday's match with something to prove, having been ranked Preseason Coaches Poll number one, but ending the season in the seventh seed. This meant an opening round road game in Delaware against the 11-2-4 Wildcats of Wilmington University.

The dream start came in the 6^th minute as Kate Thill (Jr., Goetzingen, Luxembourg) was able to carry the ball right to the edge of the six-yard box before playing in her cross. Tatianna Lizarraga (Grad., Tucson, Ariz.) dummied a run to the near post before changing direction and finding a hole in front of the Wilmington goal for a simple tap in off Thill's cross to give UB an early 1-0 lead.

The Wildcats were hampered without the presence of Manuela Restrepo and her conference-leading 29 points during the regular season She led the team with 10 goals and the conference with nine assists from the midfield. Wilmington worked hard for their chances and were able to register 11 shots, just two behind UB's 13 and both teams found the target five times.

Bridgeport's 1-0 lead would stand as the teams headed to the locker rooms after the halftime buzzer.

Tatianna Lizarraga would strike again in the second half, in the 54^th minute after being played in on goal by Solune Moll (Bern, Switerzland). Lizarraga muscled off a Wildcat defender and placed the ball across goal just inside the far post to double the UB lead, 2-0 and tally her 10^th goal of the year.

Provider Moll turned scorer in the 71^st minute received the ball at the halfway line, drove forward and patiently waited for an opening. That chance came, after beating multiple defenders and from an acute angle, right of the goal, she chipped the ball over the keeper and towards the back post. The ball hit the woodwork and landed in the back of the net to give Bridgeport a 3-0 lead.

Wilmington's cause was hindered further when in the 81^st minute, they went down to 10 players after Emilie Larsen received her second yellow card and was dismissed form the match.

The final nail in the coffin came in the 90^th minute. Vivien Ruettgers (Sr., Munich, Germany) received a 30-yard pass from defender Lara Noe (Tübingen, Germany) on the turn. Ruettgers used her next touch to wrap her right foot around the ball from just outside the penalty area, up and over the outstretched Wilmington keeper's arm.

The final buzzer would sound, Bridgeport 4, Wilmington 0.

Up next, Bridgeport will take on the number six seeded Georgian Court University, after the Lions beat the third seed Caldwell University on Sunday. Match time is set for 1:00 p.m. with both semifinals and the championship game being played at Knights Field, on the campus of the University of Bridgeport.

PHOTO BY CLARUS MULTIMEDIA