Springfield, MA --- Maeve Steckley (Rochester, NY) scored in the opening minute and Lexi Carim (Wallingford, CT) and Lily Guiliano (North Salem, NY) added goals 12 minutes apart in the second half to propel seventh-seeded and visiting WPI to a stunning 3-0 triumph over second-seeded Springfield in a NEWMAC Women's Soccer Tournament quarterfinal contest played Tuesday evening.
 
The WPI win avenged a loss less than two weeks ago at home to the Pride and sends the Engineers to the NEWMAC Semifinals for the first time since 2021 where they will travel to Boston to face sixth-seeded Emerson, a 2-0 upset winner themselves Tuesday over third-seeded Smith, on Thursday at 7pm.  The Crimson and Gray move to 9-6-4 overall while Springfield sees its season end with a 9-6-4 record.
 
The Crimson and Gray struck early just 38 seconds into the match when the visitors took advantage of a corner kick by Olivia Toolin (Bedford, NH) who connected with Steckley in a crowded box for a header goal, her team-leading seventh of the season.  
 
The opening 45 minutes was tightly-contested with WPI outshooting the hosts 5-2 and after the initial goal off the corner in the opening minute, the Pride was award the only corner of the remainder of the half. 
 
The Crimson and Gray went ahead just after the hour mark of the match with some great teamwork.  Steckley crossed a ball from the right side of the pitch intended for Katie Adiletta (Bolton, MA) but was kept in play by Mia Gilmore (Canton, MA).  The senior tapped the ball back in front of the goal to find the boot of Carim and the senior back knocked in the goal for her second-career tally and first of 2024 at 60:03. 
 
WPI put the game away just 12:03 later when rookie Abigail Johnson (Middletown, CT) dribbled into the box before having it knocked by a Springfield defender. Guiliano corralled the loose ball and fired a shot past the Pride netminder for the final strike of the evening.  The insurance goal by Guiliano was her first this fall and her fourth of her career.  The Pride would outshot the visitors 3-2 the rest of the way but were unable to muster a shot on frame over the final 18 minutes.
 
Graduate student Lili Hellerman (Ashland, MA) was credited with one save for WPI en route to 20th career victory and 12th career shutout.  Taryn Ryan (Holyoke, MA) steered away six shots in net for the Pride.  On the night, the Boynton Hillers held a 15-7 edge in shots while Springfield attempted four of the match's six corners.