Women's soccer triumphs over Hartford

After scoring just one goal in its Friday loss to Central Connecticut State, the Columbia women’s soccer team rebounded in a big way against Hartford on Sunday. The Lions (1-1-0) rolled to a 3-0 win over the Hawks (1-4-0) behind goals from junior forward Ashlin Yahr, senior forward Keri Nobil, and junior midfielder Liz Wicks.

Yahr, who did not start for Columbia and did not enter the game until the 19th minute, put the Lions on the scoreboard in the 21st. Nobil gave Columbia a 2-0 lead in the 54th off a corner kick by senior defender Kelly Hostetler.

While Yahr led the Lions with eight goals last season, Nobil had not recorded a goal since 2008, when she scored four of them.

Freshman midfielder Beverly Leon took three shots for Columbia in the first eight minutes of the second half, but she could not find the back of the net. Her first shot sailed wide, while the next two were saved by junior goalkeeper Lauren Brodeur.

Even without scoring a goal, however, Leon achieved a career milestone. She recorded her first assist in the 81st minute, on the goal by Wicks.

Wicks’s goal, like Nobil’s, was her first since a four-goal 2008 season.

Hartford's sophomore goalkeeper Shelby Little replaced Brodeur in the 77th minute, after a three-minute stretch in which Columbia threatened with two shots on goal. But Little allowed Wicks to score eventually.

Columbia took 15 shots against Hartford, 10 of which were on goal. The Hawks had five shots but did not test junior goalkeeper Lillian Klein.

The Lions continue nonconference play on Sept. 8 at Iona, with kick-off set for 3 p.m.