Women's soccer plays no-score game against Massachusetts

The University of Richmond women's soccer team went head-to-head with University of Massachusetts on Sunday in a defense-oriented game that resulted in a 0-0 draw.

Richmond successfully prevented the Massachusetts attack from doing damage, with goalie Emily Kelly making seven saves. This was her third shutout of the season.

Both teams went back and forth the first half with the ball remaining in the midfield a majority of the time. Richmond midfielder Crystal Koczot demonstrated her well-rounded abilities, dominating on the field.

"A lot of what makes our defense strong is trust," Kelly said, "knowing that if you go in for a tackle and don't make it, your teammate is there to cover for you." The defensive play of the first half hinted at just how close the game would be.

In the second half, Richmond proved that it was there to compete on the offensive side, out-shooting Massachusetts 16-4. Jensen Smith and Ashley Riefner led the team in shots with four each, coming close to scoring on a few attempts. Riefner had a shot in the 87th minute that just barely went over the crossbar.

No one was able to find the back of the net during regular time, sending the game into overtime. The struggle to score continued, and Kelly was able to defend the net for Richmond, coming up big with a diving save in the 96th minute.

"One of the keys is you have to outwork your opponent," head coach Peter Albright said. "You have to play smart and you have to be skillful, but you have to do the hard work. They worked extremely hard today."

Richmond is now 5-8-2. The team will be traveling across town to Virginia Commonwealth University at 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 1.

Contact reporter John Persche at john.persche@richmond.edu