Box Score

POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (October 23, 2010) -- The Vassar College women's soccer team moved into a tie with Union for third place in the Liberty League with a 1-0 shutout of Skidmore College Saturday afternoon at Gordon Field.

The Brewers (10-5-1, 4-2 Liberty) will celebrate Senior Day and play their final league game against Union on Sunday October 21, at 1:00 p.m. Vassar earns the first Liberty League playoff berth in program history with a win tomorrow. If the Brewers lose tomorrow, they can still clinch fourth place with a Thoroughbred (9-4-2, 3-2-1 Liberty) loss on the road to seventh place RPI on Sunday. Skidmore and RPI square off at 1:00 p.m.

Vassar struck early with a long-range goal from junior Tessa Verbanic to cap off an excellent string of passes in the 12th minute. Sophmore Keiko Kurita crossed the ball to freshman Kylie Ladenberger who rolled a pass to senior captain Carolyn Demougeout five yards away on her left. Demougeout made one touch and passed backwards to Verbanic who struck a clean ball from just outside the arc over the Skidmore keeper and into the upper right corner for the first goal of her collegiate career.

Although the Brewers carried a 1-0 lead into halftime, Skidmore applied most of the pressure during the first half. The Thoroughbreds outshot the Brewers 9-1 and led 4-1 in corner kicks but did not dominate possession. Skidmore's best opportunity came on a corner kick at 27:58 as sophomore Kelsay Yam hit a header off the near post.

In the second half, the Brewers held the lead with a “bend but don't break” defense that made Skidmore's shots easy to handle for goalkeeper Ali Higgins. Higgins made five saves and played an aggressive yet prudent style in net to improve to 3-1 on the season. Skidmore keeper Gab Lawrence made two saves and surrenders her first loss of the season, falling to 3-1-1.

Freshman Sheeva Seyfi still managed to stretch the Thoroughbred defense late in the game even when the Brewers switched to a two-forward attack. In the final three minute, she burned the Skidmore backline and faced the keeper one on one. Seyfi slipped a right foot shot past the goalie toward the goal but the ball didn't have enough steam and a trailing Skidmore defender caught up and the stopped the ball just before it crossed the goal line.

Demougeot recorded her fourth assist this season for a team-leading 24 points that ties Shannon Carroll and Claire Beitcher for the 10th best single season mark in program history. She is one point away from matching Andrea Johnson's '95 mark of 25 points. Demougeot ranks fourth all-time in Vassar history with 65 career points (28 goals).