MIDDLETOWN, Conn. (November 13, 2021)  – Senior Taylor Whitlock broke through in the 13th minute to lead the Stevens Institute of Technology women's soccer team to a 3-0 victory over Ithaca College Saturday in an NCAA Tournament opening-round match, hosted by Wesleyan University on Smith Field. 

Sophomores Gab Aloe and Elsa Bley recorded their first collegiate goals for the Ducks, who earned an NCAA victory for the third straight season in moving to 10-6-4 on the year. 

Claire Reader made six saves for Ithaca, who fell to 14-5. The Bombers have dropped two straight after entering the Liberty League championship match as winners of five straight.

The Ducks were beneficiaries of a unique occurrence to account for the first goal of the match. Whitlock set up for a corner kick. The Yardley, Pennsylvania native drove a service towards the box, however the swirling winds caught hold of the ball and directed it into the upper left corner of the goal for her fourth tally of the season.

Whitlock would be on the other side of a scoring play in the 29th minute. Whitlock sent a cross into the middle of the 18. The ball deflected off an Ithaca defender before coming to the feet of Aloe. The quick-thinking sophomore slid a low shot past Reader into the opposite corner to double the Ducks' advantage.

Bley provided a key insurance goal in the 72nd minute. The Puyallup, Washington native one-time a feed from senior Fiona Matthews just inside the right post. Matthews did the heavy lifting on the play, going on a nice run with possession to the end line before finding Bley with a well-placed pass.

While the offensive group was controlling the play and pace of the match, in providing the cushion the Ducks needed, the defensive group was perhaps even better. Not only did the Ducks finish the clean sheet, but Ithaca was held without a shot on goal for the first time since Oct. 25, 2017. Senior Izzy DiDario only faced six shots, none of which were on frame, in posting her sixth clean sheet of the season.

The victory moved Stevens' all-time NCAA record to 12-11-2. Stevens has the ninth-longest active streak of consecutive Tournament appearances (6) and entered the tournament with the fourth-best strenght of schedule in the field. The Ducks moved to 5-0-1 in the last six meetings with their former Empire 8 Conference rival. 

Inside the Numbers

• Stevens finished with a 21-6 advantage in shots. The Ducks have outshot 18 of their 20 opponents. Ithaca only mustered three attempts in each half. Whitlock paced the Ducks with five shots, while junior Catalina Abusada had four. Delaney Rutan and Megan Buttinger each took two shots to pace Ithaca.
• Nine of the Ducks' 21 shots were on target. 
• Stevens held an 8-6 edge in corners, including a decisive 7-2 advantage in the first half, where the Ducks built their two-goal lead.
• Whitlock's three-point performance is the first multi-point effort of her career.

From the Pitch - Graduate Student Kaitlyn Casiano

• "I am really proud of our team for being able to set the tone and not let the other side dictate how the flow of the game was going to go. I think we were all grateful to have a chance to play in the NCAA's and we are trying to show that we deserve to be here every time we step onto the field."

From the Pitch - Senior Brynn Budka

• "I think we came out really strong and played our game. Looking to tomorrow, I think we are feeling confident that if we play our game we can accomplish the things we want to do. It's a great feeling to come away with an NCAA win and we want to do it again!"

From the Pitch - Senior Izzy DiDario

• "I feel like we put together a whole 90. The fact that we scored in both halves really showed what we've been building towards the entire season. I think it was a well deserved entry for our team into the NCAA Tournament and I feel like we really put our best foot forward in this game. We put all of our energy into this game and finished it off strong. Looking forward to seeing what we can put forward against Wesleyan."

From the Sidelines - Head Coach Jeff Parker

• "Outstanding performance from our tribe today. Moved the ball well, played at angles, switched lanes, dictated temp, defended in numbers; just really proud of what they did today. The early finish set the tone and the second really made things difficult on our opponent. The second half was perhaps even better and the third goal decided the outcome. We're looking forward to the challenge tomorrow will bring and glad to earn another day together."

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