WASHINGTON - The late-season surge by the Gallaudet University women's soccer team continued Friday afternoon against Cazenovia College in a North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) game at a chilly Hotchkiss Field. GU shut out Cazenovia, 3-0, to win its third straight game as the Bison continue to compete for the final conference playoff spot.

Gallaudet (6-9-1, 3-6-1 NEAC), who have won four of its last five games, is now tied with Cazenovia (6-9-1, 3-6-1 NEAC) in the conference standings as both teams look up to Lancaster Bible College and Penn St.-Abington, who are 4-6 in NEAC play with one game left.

The Bison scored nine minutes into the game when a Cazenovia defender made an errant pass back to Wildcats goalie Caitlin Kelleher (four saves), who mishandled the ball, and GU senior Deltona Markel (Buda, Texas) swooped in and scored an empty-net goal.

GU took that 1-0 lead into the half as the visitors held a 7-5 edge in shots.

In the second half, sophomore midfielder/forward Hannah Neild (Litchfield, N.H.) ripped a 15-yard shot past Kelleher at the 48:17 mark. Junior midfielder Sabrina Hernandez (Ashland, Va.) assisted Neild on her 15th goal this season.

Gallaudet put the game away in the 83rd minute after a Cazenovia yellow card gave the Bison a free kick in the offensive zone. Freshman midfielder Henrianne Jansen (Apeldoorn, Netherlands) booted a free kick into the Cazenovia goalie box, where Hernandez headed the ball into the goal. The score was her third tally of the season.

Freshman goalie Payton DeGraw (Salt Lake City, Utah) came up with several big saves as she finished the game with 13.

BISON TRACKS

• GU finished the game with 11 shots (seven shots on goal)
• The Wildcats recorded 18 shots and held a 5-3 edge in corner kicks
• This was DeGraw's second win in net for the Bison
• Cazenovia has lost five straight, all shutouts, and have been outscored 14-0

UP NEXT
GU will conclude its regular-season schedule tomorrow (Saturday, Nov. 2) against Morrisville State College (5-11, 3-7 NEAC) at 2 p.m. on Senior Day.