WPSL: Sporting CT hammers Niagara 1812 to advance to East Regional finals
- Dan Stickradt
- Jul 12
- 3 min read
NATIONAL SOCCER NEWS: www.nationalsoccernetwork.com
NIAGARA, N.Y. – There was a time just past the midpoint of the WPSL season where Sporting CT was ranking No. 1 in the nation in the Women’s Premier Soccer League Power Rankings.
Somehow, the Northeastern Conference champion Sporting CT dropped down the charts to No. 13 in the rankings despite a near-brilliant regular season. The club finished 9-0-1 in the regular season where they collected six shutouts in 10 games and outscored the opposition 52-7.
Perhaps the powers that be underestimate Sporting CT’s well-oiled machine.
The side put a world of hurt on East Regional host Niagara 1812 Saturday night at NCAA Division I Niagara University, as the Middletown, Ct.-based Sporting CT scored early and often in routing Niagara 1812 9-0 in the East Regional semifinals.
The team advances to the East Regional finals July 13 at 1 p.m. against Pennsylvania Classics, which edged Brooklyn City FC 3-2 in the other regional semifinal Saturday.
Sporting CT improved to 10-0-1 – they’re only draw being a 0-0 draw in late June against the New York Shockers – and with that they’re impressive numbers continue to rise.
Sporting CT recorded its seventh shutout where Caitlin Daley was rarely even tested. The team increased its goals-per-game production up to 5.55 while lowering its impressive goals-against-average down to 0.64.
Against Niagara 1812, the team scored twice in the first five minutes to set the tone and eventually led comfortably at 5-0 at the break. Sporting CT tacked on four more goals in the second half.
Kylie McIntosh revved Sporting CT’s engine when she scored the first goal off a Tiffany Weimer cross in just the third minute, only to see the pistons firing again one minute later when Weimer found the back of the net off an Imani Jenkins feed.
Sporting CT upped the lead to 3-0 in the 12th minute when Emily Senatore sent home a Christina Stone pass, while LAney Smith ripped home a Weimer feed in the 16th for the 4-0 lead.
Sporting CT was not one in the first half, as Kiley Vepes set the table for Lexi Taylor as the team continued to haunt Niagara 1812 throughout the half and built a 5-0 by the break.
It was much of the same in the second half as Smith pushed the lead to 6-0 with an unassisted goal in the 48th and then Cali Dean Craft sent a pass to Abbie Burgess who left no doubt on her chance for a 7-0 advantage in the 75th minute.
Nationally-ranked Sporting CT continued to be relentless and pile it on down the stretch, as Emily Senatore scored the eighth goal off a Taylor pass, and then Burgess recorded the brace with an unassisted goal in the 80th minute to cap the scoring for a team that will carry a .910 win percentage into their Elite Eight game on Sunday.
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