BOSTON, Mass. – Freshman forward Megan Forti's (Lynn, Mass.) goal with 14:09 remaining in regulation snapped a 1-all tie and lifted the WPI women's soccer team to its second straight victory, a 2-1 triumph over Wentworth in a non-league contest played on Sweeney Field. The one-goal margin of victory marked the sixth time in the 11 meetings between the two schools a game has been decided by a single goal.
A back and forth opening stanza yielded few chances for both teams to break the ice until the visiting Engineers took a 1-0 lead on a freshman defender Natalie McMillan (Acton, Mass.) goal. McMillan's first collegiate marker, a shot from the top left of the 18-yard box, came off a feed pass from senior forward Kristen Garza (Kingston, Mass.). The half would end with WPI holding a 1-0 advantage. Wentworth held an 8-6 advantage on shots.
The Leopards knotted the score at 1-all at 54:32 when sophomore Elizabeth Somma (Windham, Maine) fed freshman forward Jenelle Wolff (Portland, Conn.) just outside of the 18. Wolff's shot would find the top left corner of the net for her first collegiate goal. Wentworth had a chance to go ahead in the 59th minute, but freshman keeper Maddie Willer (Penfield, N.Y.) made a stop at point-blank range on a header off of a corner kick.
Garza fed Forti, who would go in past the Leopard defense and shoot from inside the 18. The shot initially hit the right post, but before a Wentworth defender could clear it out, it crossed the goal line for her fourth tally of the season.
Wentworth had a pair of corner kicks in the 84th and 85th minutes of play and had one last quality attempt to tie it with less than a minute to play, however the shot would go wide.
Willer turned aside five shots for the Engineers, who improve to 3-6-1 on the season. WPI resumes NEWMAC play Saturday night with a 6:00 p.m. home game against Babson. Sophomore keeper Jess Gardner (Wilbraham, Mass.) made five saves for Wentworth, which falls to 2-6-1. The Leopards, who held an 18-12 shot advantage, resume TCCC play on Wednesday at Gordon.
