Randolph Center, VT - In their third game in 3 days on their extended road trip, the Mustangs Women's Soccer team was in Randolph Center, Vermont for a Yankee Conference game against the Vermont Technical College Green Knights.
According to Head Women's Soccer Coach, Rob Rodriguez, "We wanted to use this game to work on our three-back formation which had not been successful for us earlier in the season. We knew there was a risk in doing so because even though Vermont Tech is in a rebuilding year, they are a well-coached team playing at home, so it was possible we could fall behind and that would be a test of how committed we are to working ourselves out of a jam."
As it turns out, that is exactly what happened.
Even though the Mustangs dominated possession and held the advantage in shots 11 to 4 it wasn't until the 30th minute that Emily Wallingford (Minot, ME) put Central Maine on the scoreboard off a pass by Samantha Belardo (Russell, MA). That would be all the scoring in the first half.
The Mustangs stayed committed to the three-back formation and two minutes into the second half Vermont Tech leveled the score on a goal by Eva Gillette assisted by Haley Mattison. With less than 30 minutes left in the game the Green Knights would take the lead on an unassisted goal by Cassandra Pelkey. Central Maine leaned on their conditioning level to dig themselves out of the hole and with ten minutes left in the game Belardo would tie the game up assisted by Wallingford. One minute later that same duo would strike again to put the Mustangs in the lead. In the final second of play Belardo would net the hat trick assisted by Rachel Dunn (Marshfield, MA).
Central Maine took 16 shots in the second half to Vermont Tech's 6. Allie Annear (Auburn, ME) went the distance in net for Central Maine to earn the win.
The Mustangs are back in action on the road at NHTI on Thursday September 30 in a 4 pm non-conference matchup.
