Despite the stormy weather, Emerson women’s soccer team were all smiles after they beat Mount Holyoke College 6-0 in their second NEWMAC game of the season Saturday, Sept. 23. They are now 1-0-1 in NEWMAC competitions as they look to defend their title. 

“We had a lot of fun and came together as a team. We played with joy,” said junior midfielder Emma Brady after the game. 

Joy radiated across the field as the players celebrated goals with hugs, cheers, and high arm raises. Hollers rang from the stands as parents and students watched, bundled in raincoats with umbrellas in hand.

Emerson started the game aggressively, with junior midfielder Madeline Khaw scoring the first goal in the first 30 seconds. Khaw kicked the ball from the right side of the penalty box past the outstretched Holyoke goalkeeper.

“It was a great opportunity that we found a way to put [the ball] in the back of the net early in the game,” said Head Coach David Suvak. “That’s always a good way to start a game, 30 seconds into it.”

Most of the game was spent on the Holyoke side of the pitch, but Emerson was not able to add to the scoresheet the rest of the first half. The Lions had four more shots, but two were saved by the goalkeeper and the other two went wide. Mount Holyoke had three shots of their own, but they were all saved by junior goalkeeper Amara Schaub. 

During halftime, Coach Suvak gathered the players in a huddle and talked about ways to improve during the second half. 

“We talked about being more precise with our passing and making sure we were making those connections,” Suvak said. 

The 15-minute pep talk clearly worked, as the Lions would score five goals in the second half. 

Senior forward Brittney Righetti scored the second goal of the game in the 53rd minute on a cross from sophomore defender Presley King. King herself would have a goal two minutes later when the Holyoke goalkeeper mishandled a ball coming in from across. 

“We found our rhythm and once we found our flow, that was all we needed,” said junior defender Alianna West-Rodrigues, who played a strong 51 minutes on the right side of the field. “After that, it was goal after goal.”

The only major foul in the game happened in the 71st minute, as an Emerson player was tackled on the right side of the goal trying to cross the ball. The referee did not hesitate to point to the penalty spot, and junior defender Yoshiko Slater showed her finishing ability, scoring the penalty on the right side of the net. 

The goal streak continued as junior defender Dylan Parker scored at the 82-minute mark. Parker kicked the ball from the middle of the Holyoke half, curving it to the right, and depositing it gracefully in the top right corner of the net. Parker put her hands in the air in shock at her unorthodox tally, soon surrounded by hugs from her teammates, celebrating her first goal of the season. 

“I have a little spin on it and it was just a really awesome hit,” Parker said. “I was really excited. I needed that.” 

Four minutes later, the Lions passed around Mount Holyoke in the penalty box and Righetti scored again, tucking the ball past the goalkeeper and into the right side of the net. The Holyoke players had hands on their hips and their heads down. 

Cheers rang from the Emerson bench and the stands when the final whistle blew. The players hugged each other and laughed as they did their trot down the field towards the stands, fans staying the whole game despite the heavy wind and rain.  

“I think we worked really well together,” West-Rodrigues said. “We worked as a team and I think we were there for each other. Our energy was here today and we really pulled through.” 

Coach Suvak was pleased with the Lions’ performance and their improvement on the goal scoring front. 

“Our style of soccer really shined today, so I’m happy about that,” Suvak said. “I’m happy we scored some goals. We worked this past week on scoring and creating chances. I think that work we put in this week paid off.” 

The women’s soccer team’s next game is on Sept. 27 against the University of New England. The game will start at 6 p.m. at Rotch Field—hopefully with better weather.