Moving On: Women’s Soccer Edges JWU 2-1 in CNE First Round

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – First half goals from Lily Goldmann and Isa Peraza anchored a Rams lead and the blue-and-gold's defense kept a Wildcats comeback at bay to push the sixth-seeded Suffolk women's soccer team to a Conference of New England First Round 2-1 upset win over third-seed Johnson & Wales Saturday night at Scots Miracle-Gro Athletic Complex.

THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 2 | JWU 1
RECORDS: Suffolk (10-3-5) | JWU (8-8-3)

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Johnson & Wales was on the front foot early, as the Wildcats held an 8-2 shot edge through the first 30 minutes. Avery Porter made a critical recovery tackle in the 30th minute to deny JWU an early lead.
• Suffolk weathered the early pressure and opened the scoring in the 40th minute as Bria Baughman won possession in midfield, feeding Makena Columbus, who slipped a ball behind the JWU back line to Goldmann, who placed her shot into the bottom right corner.
• Sinclaire Hart nearly doubled the advantage as her shot from a corner was cleared off the line, but she regained possession and lofted a cross from the left side of the box to the back post, where Peraza headed home the second goal in a three-minute span for a 2-0 lead heading into halftime.
• JWU responded immediately in the second half, taking just 46 seconds to pull within one as Jessica Lee swung a corner to Sophia Warburton, who forced it over the line.
• Rowan Garr nearly equalized in the 59th, but Arden Rose reacted with a leaping punch over the bar to preserve the lead.
• Suffolk nearly reestablished the two-goal cushion in the 68th as Hart's long-range finesse strike rattled the crossbar.
• Rose came up big again in the 75th minute, parrying another Warburton header over the bar.

KEEPING UP WITH THE KEEPERS

• Rose stopped five shots in 90 minutes.
•  Kyla Stamilio made two saves in the first half for JWU, while Ava Vaughan played the second set of 45 minutesand made three stops.

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• Peraza and Goldmann scored the first half goals.
• Hart and Columbus tallied one assist apiece.
• Suffolk outshot JWU 17-16, including a 10-4 advantage in the second half.
• Suffolk put six shots on target to JWU's five.
• The Wildcats held an 8-5 edge in corner kicks.
• Daniela Petronio led Suffolk with four shots, including two on frame.

NOTEWORTHY

• Suffolk returned to the CNE postseason after a year hiatus. 
• The Rams are in the midst of their third CNE postseason trip, 11th overall postseason run. 
• Suffolk is now 6-10-1 overall in the postseason. 
• The Rams improved to 5-6-0 in a league tournament first round including a 2-1-0 ledger in CNE First Round action. 
• Suffolk advanced to the conference semifinals for the fifth time, first since 2023 and second time in a CNE Tournament. 
• Suffolk is now 2-2-0 all-time in the CNE Tourney. 
• Both of Suffolk's CNE Tournament victories have been 2-1 road wins.
• The Rams improved to 4-8-1 on the road in league tournament play.
• Suffolk is competing in a league tournament as the sixth seed for the second time in program history, first since 2013 in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Tournament. 
• The Rams won their first postseason match as the sixth seed. 
• Suffolk is now 1-1-0 as the sixth seed in a conference's postseason. 
• Suffolk made its second-ever postseason trip in the Ellie McDougall era, first since 2023. 
• The Rams now sport a 2-1-0 record in postseason action with McDougall on the sideline.
• Suffolk defeated Johnson & Wales for the first time since Oct. 30, 2016, a 2-1 victory in Providence in the GNAC Quarterfinals. 
• The Rams are now 6-10-1 all-time versus JWU. 
• Suffolk is unbeaten, 3-0-0, versus JWU in a postseason bout. 
• The foes met in a conference tournament tilt for the first time since the 2016 GNAC Quarterfinals, a 2-1 Suffolk upset win. 
• The blue-and-gold is now 4-6-0 on the road against the Wildcats. 
• Suffolk competed at JWU for the first time since Oct. 10, 2018, a 3-1 loss. 
• Eight games including tonight's decision have been one-goal margins in the Suffolk, JWU series. The Rams are 6-2 in such instances with five of those games, including today's, ending via 2-1 scores. 
• Suffolk is unbeaten, 1-0-1, against JWU in McDougall's tenure.
• Tonight's win marked Suffolk's 10th of the season. It is the first time that the Rams have achieve double-digit victories since 2021 when they went 11-6-0. 
• It is the fifth season in program history that the blue-and-gold has hit the double-digit win mark.
• Goldmann has scored goals in back-to-back games. She now has a team-best eight markers on the season. 
• Peraza potted her third goal of the season. 
• Columbus has collected a point in two consecutive contests. She has one goal and two assists in that stretch. 
• Hart had her second assist of the season.
• Rose moved to 6-2-4 in net this season.  

WHAT'S NEXT?
The Rams remain on the road for the CNE Semifinals at second-seed Endicott Wednesday, Nov. 5 at 7 p.m.