Box Score

POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (September 27, 2014) – Vassar opened Liberty League play with a 0-0 tie against Skidmore in a fiercely contested match at Gordon Field. In a game that saw 32 shots, with 15 coming from the Brewers, neither side was able to put one away as the teams played through two scoreless overtime periods. Vassar moves to 5-2-1 on the year and 0-0-1 in the Liberty League with the result, while Skidmore now stands a 3-3-2 (0-0-2 LL) on the season.

Both teams challenged from the get go, as Vassar and Skidmore exchanged shots in the opening minutes of the physical back-and-forth contest. The Brewers carried the momentum early, and nearly had the game's first goal after senior Chloe Wheeler (Thousand Oaks, CA/Westlake) found freshman Katie Voegtlin (Fairfax Station, VA/Lake Braddock) open on the left side in the 24^th minute. Voegtlin fired a shot on an open net, but Skidmore defender Julia Leslie jumped in front of the shot at the last second to make a goal-saving deflection.

The tides turned towards the end of the first half, as Skidmore began pressuring and putting chances on target. Junior Emma Nichols (Lexington, MA/Lexington) turned away all four shots she faced, and the teams went into halftime knotted at zero.

Vassar regained form in the beginning of the second half keeping possession of the ball in the Skidmore defensive half. The best opportunity of the half for the Brewers came in the 67^th minute, after senior Sarah Bourenane (Carrollton, TX/Hebron) put a head on a cross off a free kick. Bourenane had good pace on the shot on goal, but the ball went directly to the goalie to keep the game scoreless. Despite outshooting the Thoroughbreds 7-1 in the period, VC could not come away with a goal as regulation expired.

The Brewers entered overtime for the first time all season, and had their hands full from a charging Thoroughbred side in the first period. In the 98^th minute, Skidmore sophomore Nicole LoRusso had a game-winning opportunity after beating the Brewer defense in the box for a one-on-one opportunity with the keeper. Her shot went wide right, keeping the hosts alive to play for the win in double overtime.

Skidmore again had the upper hand in the final 10 minutes of play, outshooting Vassar 5-1 in the period. However, only one shot went on target leading to a save from sophomore Stephanie Tapolsky (Louisville, KY/Dupont Manual), who earned her third combined shutout of the year along with Nichols.

The Brewers have now not allowed a goal in four straight games, and will attempt to carry today's momentum onto the road next weekend. VC will face RIT at 4:00 pm on October 3, before battling No. 17 William Smith in Geneva, NY on October 4.