ROCHESTER, N.Y. – A quick start and consistent effort throughout the game carried the Roberts Wesleyan University women's soccer team to a 2-0 victory over Chestnut Hill College in its home opener on Saturday afternoon.
Sophomore Ella White converted a penalty kick in the 14^th minute and classmate Larissa Johnston delivered a beautiful strike off a feed from Kaeleigh Romero in the 59^th minute for Roberts (3-1).
"I thought that the team put together a full 90 minutes," Roberts coach Sarah McClellan said. "We could have finished a couple of more, but we generated some quality chances today. I also thought that we showed good composure."
The Redhawks outshot Chestnut Hill 18-5 and applied consistent pressure throughout the contest.
White, who scored 12 goals as a freshman in 2022, drew a call in the box and buried her PK into the far right corner with 31:15 to play in the first half.
"It is super important," White said of her team scoring first. "A lot of times we are a second-half team, but today we started out well and our defense really held it down."
Roberts had a couple of quality looks early in the second half before Romero carried the ball down the right side of the field and sent a pass toward the top of the box. Johnston, who saw that White was marked, told her to let the ball go before stepping into a 20-yard shot that found the back of the net.
"It was a great ball by KJ (Romero)," Johnston said. "I saw her coming down the sideline and I knew that she was going to cross it. I saw space so I told Ella to let it go, it was a good strike."
Senior Nicolette Knauf made one save to record her first shutout of the season.
The match was the fourth in nine days for Roberts, which played its first three on the road.
"It was very nice to be on our home field for the first time this season and I know that the team really appreciated all of the energy from the stands," McClellan said.
Roberts plays its East Coast Conference opener at 5 p.m. Friday against Chestnut Hill College in the Katie's Save Game.