Bulldogs Stand Tall on Senior Day: Dean Women's Soccer Defeats Colby-Sawyer 2-1 to Keep Postseason Push Alive
FRANKLIN, Mass. — On a crisp Saturday morning at Grant Field, emotion met urgency as the Dean College women’s soccer team stepped onto the pitch for a high-stakes Senior Day showdown against Colby-Sawyer College. Riding the momentum of a historic 10-0 offensive explosion earlier in the week against Mitchell, the Bulldogs delivered another gritty, memorable performance when it mattered most, edging the Chargers 2-1 to capture a vital conference victory.
The win lifts Dean to 5-12-2 overall and 4-7-1 in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) play, injecting massive life into their postseason resume as the regular season draws to a close.
The festivities honored the hard work and leadership of the program's senior class. Danielle Reinhard, Kassidy Martins, Kacie Consilini, and Lainey Buffington wasted no time making their presence felt on the field. Dean controlled the tempo early, testing the Colby-Sawyer defense with active runs and smart distribution.
The breakthrough came in the 31st minute. Junior midfielder Zia Lear broke the scoreless deadlock, finding the back of the net for her third goal of the campaign with a beautiful reverse curling shot that looped and dipped over the opposing goalkeeper. The sequence was sparked by senior standout Kacie Consolini, who picked up the assist, rewarding the home crowd with an electric transition play that put the Bulldogs up 1-0 heading into the halftime break.
Dean didn't wait long to double their advantage coming out of the locker room. Just over a minute into the second half, Consolini struck again. Capitalizing on a crisp feed from first-year contributor Liz Serrano, Consolini rocketed home her team-leading fifth goal of the season to extend the lead to 2-0.
ADVERTISEMENT
Armed with a two-goal cushion, the Bulldogs leaned heavily on their defensive backline and goalkeeper Danielle Reinhard to weather a late-game push from the Chargers. Colby-Sawyer ramped up the pressure in the second half, outshooting Dean 9-7 over the final 45 minutes.
The Chargers broke through in the 82nd minute when Sydney Ledoux netted her second goal of the season off an assist from Ellie Smith, cutting Dean’s lead to 2-1. However, Reinhard and the Dean defense stood tall under intense pressure through the closing ticks of regulation, securing the crucial one-goal victory and sending the Senior Day crowd into a celebration.
While the Bulldogs were jubilant and happy to win, they could have more to celebrate.
With the GNAC tournament bracket beginning to take shape, Saturday’s win over a conference opponent comes at the right time for the Bulldogs. With a 4-7-1 record in conference play (13 total points), the Bulldogs find themselves controlling an important aspect of their own destiny while competing for a spot in the playoff bracket.
Eight teams qualify for the postseason in the GNAC, but the second half is intense. To gain the playoff spot needed, Dean must earn a win in their final regular-season game against Lasell while keeping an eye on teams very much in the hunt like Colby-Sawyer (3-7-2) and other teams like Saint Joseph’s (Maine) and Simmons.
Because conference tiebreakers prioritize head-to-head outcomes and regular season point accumulation (3 points for a win, 1 for a tie), a win or draw in their finale against Lasell would put maximum pressure on chasing squads to run the table. If bubble rivals drop points in their final fixtures, the Bulldogs' gritty conference wins, capped by Saturday's emotional resilience will officially lock up a hard-earned trip to the GNAC tournament.
ADVERTISEMENT
