Big first half lifts women's soccer over Rhode Island

Sunday, August 28

Kingston, R.I.

7:00 p.m.

Brown University

2-0-0

Rhode Island

0-3-1

Brown

Rhode Island

Big first half lifts women's soccer over Rhode Island

8/28/2022 10:06:00 PM | Women's Soccer

Box Score

KINGSTON, R.I. – The Brown women's soccer team used three first-half goals to take down Rhode Island 3-1 Sunday evening on the road.

Brittany Raphino again opened the scoring for the Bears as she tallied her second in as many games. Ava Seelenfreund and Laryssa Hamblen also found the back of the net for their firsts of the season.

"We came out with a lot of energy and intensity in the first half to go into halftime with a nice lead," head coach Kia McNeill said. "I thought the goals that Brittany, Ava, and Laryssa all scored were great goals and I'm happy to see we have different players finding the back of the net.

"We knew URI had some pacey forwards who can cause problems and we got caught on one mistake."

Raphino, who scored in the sixth minute in the team's season opener, put the Bears on the scoreboard even earlier this time around. In the fifth minute, Jessica Hinton lofted a ball towards the Ram's back line that Raphino ran onto. She worked her way around a pair of defenders and the goalie and deposited the ball into the open goal.

Fifteen minutes later, when a defender failed to clear a ball out of the box, Seelnfreund got on the end of it and sent a left-footed strike from eight years out into the bottom right corner to double Brown's lead.

Then, with just three minutes remaining in the opening half, a long throw into the 18-yard box from Hayley Houston fell to the feet of Hamblen who wasted no time in making it a three-goal game.

Rhode Island got one back in the 49^th minute, but that's where it would end. The Bears defense tightened up and controlled the remainder of the game to come away with the 3-1 victory.

Brown outshot Rhode Island on the day 13-3, including a 7-2 advantage in shots on goal, and earned seven corners to the Rams' two. Raphino paced the Bears with four shots, while Seelnfreund had three.

Clare Gagne made one save in goal for Brown.

"This weekend has given us some good focal points for growth," McNeill said. "But overall I'm very happy with where we are less than two weeks in and I can't wait for our home opener this week.

The Bears return to the field this Thursday, Sept. 1 at 7 p.m. for their home opener against Central Connecticut.

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