Bay Path Falls 5-1 in Season Opener to Mount Ida

NEWTON, Mass. - Mount Ida College freshman forward Sierra Legge (Schodack Landing, N.Y.) netted a hat trick also adding one assist in a 5-1 non-conference victory against visiting Bay Path College Thursday afternoon in Newton, Massachusetts to kick-off the 2011 fall season.  The Mustangs improve to an overall record of 1-0-0 while the Wildcats fall to 0-0-1.  

Legge netted the first goal of the 2011 season on a bounding ball right outside of the 18 yard box popping the ball over Bay Path goalkeeper sophomore Melina Isdith (Rego Park, N.Y.) giving the Mustangs a 1-0 lead 15 minutes into the first half.  Mount Ida junior Elena Ooms (Valatie, N.Y.) was credited with the assist.   The Mustangs struck six minutes later off another bounding ball in the box that was headed over to the left side of the net by freshman Aarika Viola (Portland, Maine).  The header fell at the feet of senior Michelle Alessi (Salem, Mass.) who hammered a shot into the left corner for the 2-0 advantage. 

The visitors got on the board avoiding the shutout with ten minutes to go in the first stanza on a rebound in the box that Wildcat freshman Nicole Crossman (Winsted, Conn.l) fired in cutting the lead to 2-1 in favor of Mount Ida.  

After no legitimate chances in the opening of the second half, the Mustangs pulled ahead by two scores on her second tally of the game on a well placed pass on the middle of the box by sophomore Leslie Campbell (Quincy, Mass.). 

Legge geared up and blasted a shot into the top left corner for the 3-1 advantage.  The Mustangs added another on Legge's third goal of the game completing the hat trick in her first collegiate contest.  This goal she earned all on her own crushing a shot from the top of the 18 yard box with precision into the bottom left corner for a commanding 4-1 lead.  

Legge added to her impressive day with an assist on a breakaway feeding fellow freshman Kaitlyn Affhauser (Cheshire, Mass.) with less than ten minutes to go in the contest for the 5-1 advantage.  Legge had a one to beat but unselfishly dished it off to a wide open Affhauser who chipped the ball over a diving goaltender wrapping up an impressive start for the Mustangs. Mount Ida freshman goalkeeper Kerstin McLean (Preston, Conn.) denied five Wildcat shots while Isdith saw much more action notching 10 saves.

The Wildcats are back in action hosting Albertus Magnus on Labor Day Monday, September 5th at a 1:00 p.m. start.