TROY, N.Y. – Senior Vanessa Eljaiek scored two goals, including the game-winner, leading the Skidmore College women's soccer team to a 4-1 victory over Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), on Saturday afternoon at East Campus Stadium. With the win, the Thoroughbreds improve to 4-3-1 overall (1-1-1 Liberty League), while the Engineers drop to 4-2-3 (1-1-1 Liberty League).
Skidmore got the scoring started in the 20th minute, when Eljaiek (Miami, FL / Evanston Township) took a feed from Ella Stone (Winchester, MA / Winchester) and buried the first of her two goals on the day.
Five minutes later, she scored again, this time off a corner kick by junior Paige Karl (Chester, VT / Green Mountain Union). The eventual game-winning marker was deflected into the RPI net from close range by Eljaiek after the ball bounced in the Engineers' six-yard area.
In the 32nd minute, senior Olivia Allen (Glastonbury, CT / Glastonbury) tucked home the Thoroughbreds third goal of the game, just inside the right post. Just four minutes later, sophomore Madison Bourassa (Tewksbury, MA / Phillips Academy) found senior Liz Saraceno (Somers, NY / Somers) at the left side of the penalty area, where she fired a shot past RPI freshman goalkeeper
Sierra Skelding (Cary, NY / Panther Creek).
The Thoroughbreds took their 4-0 lead into halftime, while outshooting the Engineers, 9-8.
RPI pulled one goal back in the second half, scoring on free kick from just outside the penalty area. Senior
Whitney Wisnom (Hillsborough, CA / Design Tech.) sent a ball from left to right to junior
Simi Nambiar (Larchmont, NY / Mamaroneck), who ripped a low shot inside the left post for her second goal in as many games.
Skelding (3-2-3) finished with four saves in the first half, before being relieved by sophomore
Maya Kessler in the second. Kessler had two stops. Ava Keller turned away 10 for the Thoroughbreds.
The Engineers are back in action next Saturday, when they travel to Schenectady to take on Union College (2pm). Skidmore travels to Hartwick on Wednesday (6pm).
