SCRANTON, Pa. – Recording just two games this season with four or more goals, the No. 4 Wesleyan women's soccer team made a third example out of SUNY Brockport in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament with a 4-1 triumph on Saturday evening from Weiss Field at the University of Scranton. Lead by Kerenza Leahey '27, Wesleyan advances to the Second Round to face No. 14 Scranton.

The Second Round of the tournament will see the Cardinals match up with the Scranton Royals on Sunday, Nov. 17, at 3 p.m. The Royals advanced on a 3-1 win over Marywood earlier in the afternoon on Saturday.

If there is one thing the Cardinals are going to do, it's dig deep in the face of adversity. After earning their fourth straight at-large bid to the NCAA tournament after an early exit from the NESCAC Championships, the Cardinals traveled to the Electric City to face SUNY Brockport. Leahey, with the help of Katie O'Connell '25, played the biggest game of her career with a five-point night that saw her clear the opening goals before assisting on O'Connell's goal later in the game.

After an unsuccessful goal kick kept the ball under the Cardinals control, the Golden Eagles attempted a second clear from inside the goal box but were thwarted by Leahey who was able to break up the play. Leahey juked with an Eagles defender before rocketing the ball from outside the box and into the left corner.  The Cardinals would enter the half with the one goal lead, outshooting the Eagles 11-3.

The Cardinals spent most of the first 45 minutes in the Eagles' defensive zone. The Eagles, for their efforts, were barely able to make it across the midfield line. Molly Brumbach '26 did not see much of the Eagles until after the half. Much of the Eagles' torment came by way of the defense who only allowed four shots on goal. Zoey Fagnan '26 played a heavy 89 minutes with Tori Rideau-Winds '26 no longer available to the lineup.

With time underway in the second half, the Cardinals were awarded a free kick as the officials dished out a yellow card to the Eagles. Leahey was once again waiting out above the arch and was found on the next pass where she was able to drill a shot into the back of the net just seven seconds later.

Autumn Edwards cut the Cardinals' two-goal lead in half at the 64-minute mark. Shooting from above the box, Edwards' ball squeezed between Brumbach's fingers and the cross bar.
In goal for the Eagles, Madeline McCrosson stonewalled O'Connell and Juliette Sullivan with nine minutes on the clock. The pair stood up inside the box and took several shots deflecting off both McCrosson and the pipes.

The Eagles' hopes at a comeback would not last long thanks to Sheridan Snow '28. The Cardinals set up a corner kick attempt in the left corner, the ball falling on the head of O'Connell for the first shot of the play on McCrosson. McCrosson made the initial save, but Snow snagged the rebound on the deflection inside the goal box.

After several scoring opportunities within striking distance for O'Connell, the senior finally was able to capitalize on her efforts with the final goal of the night for the Cardinals on another corner kick. With Leahey taking the kick from the left corner, O'Connell met the ball on the line and stuffed it into the net as she was tripped up inside the box. The Cardinals closed the game with 13-5 second half shot differential.

Collecting her 12^th win of the season, Brumbach made three saves before she was relieved by Juliette Vemmer '25 with just a minute remaining. McCrosson finished the evening with four saves.