It didn't take long for Wood River High School's all-time single-season scoring leader Margii Driscoll of Ketchum to make an impact for the University of Vermont women's soccer team in Burlington, Vt.
The daughter of Kate and John Driscoll scored the game-winning goal in double overtime Friday lifting the Vermont Catamounts past the University of Massachusetts 1-0 at Centennial Field in Burlington.
It was a nice early birthday present for Driscoll, 19 today.
Driscoll's first college goal in her seventh game put an end to the scoreless battle at the 104:03 mark—meaning the teams played without scoring for two 40-minute periods and one 10-minute OT stanza before Driscoll ended the stalemate.
A 5-7 freshman forward, one of eight freshmen on the 21-player roster of third-year coach Kerry Dziczkaniec, Driscoll slipped behind the UMass defenders and sent a one-time pass from Kaitlin Francis into the left corner of the Minutemen net.
The goal snapped a three-game losing streak for the Catamounts and ended a six-game win streak for UMass (6-2-0). Driscoll actually had three of the six Vermont shots for the game. She had a good look in the 69th minute but her toe-poke sailed just over the Minutemen crossbar.
Fired up with Friday's win, Vermont (3-5-1, 1-0-0) made it two in a row Sunday with an impressive 3-0 home triumph over visiting Binghamton (3-5-2, 0-1-0) in the America East Conference league opener for each eastern college soccer team.
Driscoll scored again for Vermont Sunday, putting home an insurance tally in the 80th minute. She finished off a pass from Cass VanLeeuwen from four yards out as the Catamounts (5 goals in 8 games entering Sunday) hit a season-best in scoring.
Driscoll was named America East "Rookie of the Week," the first Vermont player to earn league honors this season.
Vermont (1-0-0 league) travels to Albany (3-7-1, 0-1-0) Thursday, Sept. 28 for its first road game in the 10-school America East Conference. Then the Catamounts host defending America East champion Boston University (7-2-1, 1-0-0) Sunday, Oct. 1 at Centennial Field. Boston University is currently ranked 12th in the NSCAA/adidas Division 1 women's soccer poll topped by Notre Dame.
Driscoll, twice the Great Basin Conference West "Player of the Year," while at Wood River, scored a career 81 goals in Hailey topped by a record 43 goals in 22 games last fall.
