KINGSTON — No. 4 seed Rhode Island held off No. 5 VCU in a battle of Rams on Friday afternoon, earning a 2-1 victory in the Atlantic 10 Women’s Soccer Quarterfinals on Friday night at URI Soccer Complex. The result marked Rhody’s first postseason win since 2006.
Rhode Island (13-5-2) advanced to the semifinals with the triumph, where their opponent is yet to be determined. The eight-team tournament will be re-seeded following the conclusion of Saturday’s quarterfinal matches. Both semifinal matches will take place on Wednesday, Nov. 5.
VCU goalkeeper Mia Pongratz made the first four saves of the evening, keeping things tight early as Rhode Island controlled possession. Rhody finally broke through in the 34th minute, as junior forward Lauren MacDonald found the top right corner of the net for the game’s opening goal.
Rhode Island goalkeeper Dani Eden made several stops in the ensuing minutes, before senior defender Sarah Yee scored in the bottom left of the goal to give the Rams a 2-0 advantage heading into halftime.
VCU regrouped well after the break, starting the second half by applying offensive pressure. Sophomore midfielder Keira McCloskey put VCU on the board less than three minutes into the second period, putting away a precise pass from freshman Isabelle Franklin.
The goal cut the gap in half, but VCU would not pull any closer from there. The Rhode Island defense held VCU to just two shots on goal in the second half, thwarting the road team’s comeback effort.
VCU outshot Rhode Island 13-12 but registered just four shots on goal to Rhody’s seven.