Riverdale, NY - The opening round of the Skyline Conference Championship Tournament was all but a formality for the College of Mount Saint Vincent. The Dolphins faced off at home against Mount Saint Mary College and dominated throughout, winning by the score of 6-0 while stifling a Knights offense that scored two goals in the previous matchup earlier this season. 

The game had all the makings of a close contest in the early going. Both CMSV and Mount Saint Mary both impressed defensively, with only three shots taking place over the first 18 minutes of action. It was then, however, when the Dolphins struck first. Caitlyn Thompson, who is a frontrunner for the conference's Rookie of the Year award, was on the receiving end of a penalty shot attempt. The first year standout continued her tremendous 2023 campaign when she buried the attempt, putting her team on the board first and for good. 

With the end of the first half nearing, the Dolphins were awarded a second penalty shot. This time it was freshman Gisselle Soria, known for her defensive ability, taking the shot. She, like Thompson, converted the attempt, giving her team a two-goal edge heading into the half. 

CMSV opened the second half firing on all cylinders, with two goals coming in the first two minutes. The tone shifted firmly into the Dolphins favor when Dana DeDominicis took a through ball from Lily Ostiguy past the Knights goaltender, which was followed up by an Alicia Rodriguez goal that saw the junior carry the ball all by herself from midfield. 

The freshmen duo of Brittany Boyle and Eva Puentes put the cherry on top of the victory for Stuart Dick's team when they both found rebound opportunities and buried the chances. 

While the offense received the fanfare, the defense was equally as dominant in the victory. The unit, featuring Soria, Arianna Morales, Kari Horos and Maddie Halford allowed just seven shots on goal, four of which came towards the latter portion of the second half. Their efforts, combined with a tremendous game in net by sophomore Javiera Sanchez, propelled the Dolphins to victory. Sanchez impressed with seven saves, good for her seventh shutout in eight starts. 

The Dolphins will now head to Farmingdale in a rematch from the 2022 Skyline Conference semifinal. The Rams won the regular season matchup 3-1, but this Dolphins team is surging at the right time. Stay tuned to CMSVAthletics.com for a game time, which will be determined later this week.