Hrabchak Delivers Insurance Goal to Send MIT Over Wheaton, 3-1

Freshman Allie Hrabchak

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – An insurance goal headed home by freshman Allie Hrabchak (Princeton, N.J.) in the 79^th minute was enough to send the MIT women's soccer team over Wheaton College, 3-1, on Wednesday afternoon at Steinbrenner Stadium.

The Engineers had two great scoring opportunities early in the game. MIT senior Morgan Moroi (New Albany, Ohio) booted a cross down the sideline to sophomore Olivia Struckman (Scottsdale, Ariz.), who proceeded to have her shot blocked at the 10:05 mark of the opening stanza. Sophomore Jane Fessenden (Orinda, Calif.) gathered the rebound and fired once again, but her shot went just wide of the net, leaving the game scoreless in the 11^th minute.

At the 22:20 mark of the first half, the game was scoreless no more. Freshman Shannon Miller
(Pittsford, N.Y.) kicked a cross from the 30 yard line that found Moroi, who was positioned at the top of the box. Moroi turned and fired the ball into the bottom right corner of the net, her third goal of the season, to give MIT the 1-0 advantage.

Five minutes later, the duo connected other once again, this time the opposite way. Moroi crossed the ball into the box from the 40 yard line where Miller was set up, waiting for the ball to reach the ground. Miller sent the ball into the top right corner, extending the Cardinal and Gray lead to 2-0, with 18:14 to play in the first half. Miller registered her second assist in as many games on MIT's first goal of the afternoon, while the second Engineers tally accounted for her first career collegiate goal.

Wheaton put pressure on MIT late in the opening stanza with two opportunities to put the visiting Lyons on the board. Junior Sydney Ferrell (Pasadena, Calif.) received a cross from senior Julia Cipriano (Middlebury, Conn.) in the 33^rd minute. Ferrell sent a shot the just trickled wide of the net. Ten minutes later, sophomore Megan Healey (Huntington, N.Y.) kicked a thru pass to Cipriano, but her shot also went wide, keeping the score at 2-0 in favor of the hosts, heading into the break.

In the second half, Wheaton was able to break MIT's shutout in the 52^nd minute. A long thru pass from midfield via junior Molley Shea (Westfield, Mass.) found Ferrell breaking towards Ullmann.

Ferrell immediately put a shot on net that ricocheted off of the left post and back into play. Ferrell grabbed her own rebound and potted the ball into the upper part of the net, cutting the Lyons' deficit to one goal, 2-1, with plenty of time still to play.

Cipriano nearly tied the game at two 1:59 later on a header that was sent into the box by junior Brooke Collard (Orange, Calif.), but Cardinal and Gray junior net minder Lauren Ullmann (Princeton, N.J.) was there, punching the ball away, leaving the score at 2-1.

MIT scored the all-important insurance goal with 11:12 left to play in the game when sophomore Jacqueline Simmons (Houston, Texas) was awarded a free kick from the 40 yard line. Simmons delivered a set piece into the box where she found the foot of senior Jennifer Ibanez (West Windsor, N.J.). Ibanez played the ball one-touch to Hrabchak, who headed the ball into the upper corner of the net for a double assisted goal that extended MIT's lead to 3-1. Hrabchak's header was her team leading fifth goal of the season.

Ullmann was the difference late in the game for the Engineers. Cipriano drove into the box in the 88^th minute, but Ullmann was there to preserve the MIT lead. Wheaton's final scoring opportunity came on a corner kick by sophomore Sarah Buckley (Oviedo, Fla.), but nothing came of the chance as the Engineers claimed the conference win over the Lyons, 3-1.

Both teams drew even in shots with 16 apiece, while Wheaton held a 6-4 advantage in corner kicks. Ullmann made six saves on the afternoon, moving her season total to 73, which is first in the NEWMAC. Wheaton freshman goalkeeper Taylor Wilson (Bellingham, Mass.) didn't make a save in her first collegiate appearance.

With the win this afternoon, MIT has now won three straight regular season games against Wheaton, dating back to 2012, as well as its 12^th win all time in the head-to-head series.

MIT (6-4-2, 3-1-0 NEWMAC) hosts Clark University on Saturday, October 10 for a conference tilt at 1:00 p.m., while Wheaton (7-5-0, 1-2-0 NEWMAC) welcomes the defending NEWMAC Champions, Springfield College, the same day with kick off slated for noon.