DARTMOUTH, Mass. - Sophomore Talia Borci (Leicester, Mass.) netted a pair of goals to lead the Worcester State University women's soccer team to a 5-1 non-league victory over UMass Dartmouth Thursday evening at Cressy Field.
Borci staked the visiting Lancers (9-7) to the early lead when she converted a pass from senior Nikki DiPilla (Sterling, Mass.) just 2:54 into the contest, and sophomore Megan Gurlitz (Auburn, Mass.) extended that margin to 2-0 in the 17th minute on a feed from fellow sophomore Ali Maldonado (Rutland, Mass.).
Sophomore Maddie Fong (Norton, Mass.) gave Worcester State a 3-0 edge at the break on a direct kick conversion less than four minutes later, but the host Corsairs (7-7-5) sliced into their deficit just 5:43 after intermission when junior Ella Rath (Pawcatuck, Conn.) converted a penalty kick for her team-leading 10th tally of the season. Borci responded with her second of the night less than four minutes later to restore the visitors' three-goal edge, and sophomore Jennah Kellie's (Manchester, Conn.) marker with just under six minutes remaining accounted for the final margin.
Freshman Tori Socci (Blackstone, Mass.) picked up her first collegiate win with a six-save effort in net for Worcester State, while senior Korina Miguel (New Bedford, Mass.) made five stops in the setback for UMass Dartmouth. The Lancers outshot the Corsairs by a 16-11 margin overall (10-7 on goal) and held a 13-7 advantage in corner kicks for the contest.
UMass Dartmouth awaits word of its seeding in the 2018 Little East Conference Championships, as playoff pairings will be announced by the league office over the weekend. Worcester State closes out its regular season on Sunday afternoon by heading to Buzzards Bay, Mass. to square off with Massachusetts Maritime in a Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference clash that begins at 5:00 pm.
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Release courtesy of UMass Dartmouth Athletic Communications.