ANNANDALE-ON-HUDSON, N.Y. - For one half on Wednesday night, the Bard College women's soccer team frustrated Vassar. The Raptors challenged every 50-50 ball, mounted a couple of offensive threats, dealt with Vassar's edge in possession coolly, and earned a 0-0 score at halftime against a team that was nationally ranked just two weeks ago.

But a different Vassar emerged after halftime. The intense pressure eventually wore Bard down, and the Brewers produced three late goals in a span of less than six minutes to win the Liberty League match, 3-0.

It wasn't easy. Bard was prepared for Vassar's fancy footwork, especially in the midfield, and the first 45 minutes didn't see much offense. Although Vassar spent a lot of time down the wings in Bard's defensive third, the Raptors seemed unfazed and tried consistently to mount counters to keep Vassar honest in the back. Katie Hopper had two opportunities for the Raptors, but one went wide, and the other was stopped by keeper Fiona Walsh (Hackettstown, NJ) in the 24th minute.

In the first three minutes of the second half, Vassar generated three corners - they had one in the entire first half - and two headers off those corners went dangerously wide. 

Bard's first corner of the game, in the 59th minute, produced a good chance to score, but Giuliana Scanni's rocket from the top of the box was blocked by a defender, then sent out of harm's way.

The Brewers kept the pressure up, creating three consecutive corners in the 69th minute, and one of those created a great scoring chance, but Bard defender Nicole Ellin  cleared a definite goal off the line to keep the game scoreless.

Vassar finally broke through a few minutes later. Rebecca Andrews (Los Altos, CA) burst down the left wing, cut inside a Bard defender and ripped a hard, high shot that beat Bard keeper Abigail Stanley for a 1-0 lead. Just over two minutes later, Sara Seper (New Hyde Park, NY) ran full speed onto a rolling cross from Ashley Ferry (Westfield, NJ), for a 2-0 lead, and it was 3-0 two minutes after that, when Madio Wallner (Incline Village, NV) headed in a corner from Savannah Cutler (Deer Park, TX).

The guests outshot Bard 17-2 in the second half. Vassar is 6-3-1 overall, 2-1-0 in Liberty League play.

Stanley finished with six saves for Bard, which is 4-5-1 overall, 0-3-0 in conference games.

Up next for the Raptors is a Liberty League game at 22nd-ranked Ithaca on Saturday. Live Video and Live Stats are available if you can't make it.