ANNANDALE-ON-HUDSON – The Bard College women's soccer team opened the 2023 season with a 6-1 victory over Pratt Institute on a sunny Saturday afternoon at Ferrari Field.

Bard (1-0) came from behind after Pratt (0-1) took an early lead in the 8th minute. The Raptors had seven shots on goal before they could tie the game in the 38th minute. A shot off the crossbar from first-year Mahlia Slaiby directed the ball to the top of the box, and first-year Kaia Brady tucked the rebound past the goalkeeper. 

Within five minutes of the first goal, the Raptors added a second. Bard was awarded a free kick in the 43rd minute, and Slaiby curled a shot that evaded Pratt's goalkeeper to give the Raptors the 2-1 lead heading into halftime. Slaiby's goal and assist is the first time a first year scored a goal and had an assist in a game since 2014, when Avalon Qian scored two goals and added an assist against SUNY Cobleskill. 

After seven minutes of play in the second half, Bard scored again, this time from sophomore defender Carina Cooke. A great pass from Brady found Cooke, who lobbed a shot over the goalkeeper's head for her first collegiate goal. Cooke followed with another goal in the 72nd minute after she rolled past Pratt's right-wing defender to shoot from distance into the top right corner of the goal. Last week, Cooke mentioned in an interview previewing the season that she wanted to score her first collegiate goal this fall; in the first game of the season, she ended up scoring a pair.  

Senior Kylie Quinn scored in the 56th minute after an unselfish play by fellow senior Emma Kuntz. After getting behind the defense, Kuntz had the opportunity to shoot but instead drew the goalkeeper out before unselfishly passing to Quinn, who tucked the ball into the empty net. 

Sophomore Maya Farwell, a walk-on last year, scored her first collegiate goal in the 75th minute. Slaiby got away from the defender at the top of the box and passed the ball to an open Farwell who tucked a shot into the bottom right corner. 

Bard had a 43-3 shots advantage, including 21 shots on goal. Junior Seymone Rosenberg collected a save, while the Raptors' defensive back line held the Cannoneers to only two shots on goal. Bard's six goals is the most it has had since 2019, when the Raptors shutout Elmira, 6-0. 

The Raptors will be back in action next Saturday when they face Sarah Lawrence at noon at Ferrari Soccer & Lacrosse Complex.