Bobcats Take Down Huskies on Senior Day

Paul Smiths, NY ~ In the waning minutes of the final regular season game for the five seniors on the Paul Smith's College women's soccer team, the score was all square at 0-0 against Word of Life Bible Institute.  What seemed like an inevitable tie turned into a raucous celebration as two of those seniors linked up with three minutes left in the game to give the Bobcats a 1-0 win on Senior Day in front of family and friends.

"The team's resilience really shined through during our game on Saturday.  It was a must win for a couple different reasons.  We needed to win to get home field advantage for our conference quarterfinal game and it was senior day!" said head coach Kelvey McGinnis.

Just a few minutes prior to the game-winning goal from senior striker Matti Swan (Schenectady, NY), the crossbar had tried to spoil the party.  In the 75th minute from distance, Swan struck a hard shot that looked like it could sneak under the upright.  As it approached the white beam, a loud smack rang out and the ball caromed off as the Bobcat bench and the fans in attendance sighed.

But Swan would not be denied a second time.

With just over three minutes remaining in the game, fellow senior Leah Coulombe (Jay, NY) cleared a ball from the top of the bubble in the Bobcat end and launched it high into the offensive half of the field.  On the bounce, Swan would use her speed to cut in front of the Huskie's defender and take a clear path to goal.  A dribble, a slight glance at the keeper, and a left-footed strike later and the Bobcats took the 1-0 lead after nearly a full scoreless game.

"It felt amazing to score that much-needed goal in the final minutes," said Swan, who leads the Bobcats in goals (9), assists, (5), and points (23).  The senior from Schenectady also occupies second place in the Yankee Small College Conference (YSCC) in goals and points, behind NHTI's Adrienne Dorr.

"We've struggled to find the back of the net lately, so this one was huge, especially since it secured home-field advantage heading into the playoffs," added Swan, who is looking ahead to the postseason.

Paul Smith's College goalkeeper Peyton Hoffman (Ilion, NY) earned her sixth clean sheet of the campaign as the team moves to 5-6-3 overall and 4-4-2 in conference play.  They look to carry that momentum into Wednesday's first-round playoff game as they host Word of Life on Wednesday, October 22nd at 6pm in a rematch of this game to decide who goes to the YSCC Final Four the following weekend.

"We have to stay focus on the game Wednesday, but the team is excited and ready!" added McGinnis.

You can follow the women's soccer team on Instagram at @paulsmiths_wsoccer or follow the general athletics account at @smitty_nation for scores, highlights, pictures, and much more!

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At Paul Smith's College, it's about the experience. As the only four-year institution of higher education located in the Adirondack Park in upstate New York, Paul Smith's provides real-world, hands-on learning in fields such as business and hospitality, culinary management, forestry, environmental sciences, and natural resources. We can draw on industries and resources available in our backyard while preparing students for successful careers anywhere. Our community of resourceful, enterprising, supportive, and adventurous individuals collectively provides experiential education, student support in the classroom and beyond, and meaningful opportunities for our alumni. We pride ourselves on research and advocacy on issues that improve our planet and the lives of the people who inhabit it. Learn more at www.paulsmiths.edu.