SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – A balanced scoring effort powered the Skidmore College women's soccer team to a 4-1, season-opening victory over Curry College, at Wachenheim Field on a sunny Friday afternoon.
 
Skidmore (1-0) has won its last four season openers. Curry drops its season opener.
 
Carly Craft, Molly Kosh, Yasmine Boukari, and Paige Karl provided the scoring for Skidmore. Emily Vinick and Vanessa Eljaiek added the assists. Boukari led the team with eight shots and five on goal.
 
Ava Keller picked up the start and the win, making three saves in the first half. Vivian Montgomery-Walsh made a few key saves late to preserve the scoring margin. She also made three saves in 45:00.
 
It was Curry who provided the opening salvo in a back-and-forth game. Off a Curry corner, Tayla Randall fed Madison Conway with a short pass, and she found Isabella Shields from about 30 yards out. Shields fired a high shot from the left side, that was just over the reach of Keller in goal, at the 10:06 mark.
 
Skidmore nearly struck back early in the 15^th minute. Boukari eluded two Curry defenders off a pass by Vinick, but Boukari's resulting shot at the top of the box was parried away by Curry goalkeeper Oliver Hutchinson. The Thoroughbreds would find the net moments later. Off a feed, Karl beat two defenders, then took a shot that curled beyond Hutchinson's reach into the net.
 
Boukari would give Skidmore the lead for good in the 27^th minute. Off a Skidmore corner, the ball ricocheted to Boukari, as the junior laced up a shot from in front of net that got past the Curry goalie.
 
Skidmore would increase the pressure in the second half. In the 57^th minute, Vinick fed Molly Kosh just inside of the box on the right side. Kosh faked left, then took a shot that hit the upper corner of net. The Thoroughbreds would finish the scoring nine minutes later, as Eljaiek fed Craft with a perfectly placed thorough ball, as Craft finished low and to the right.
 
The Thoroughbreds outshot the Colonels by a 28-12 margin. Hutchison was busy in net, finishing with nine saves.
 
Skidmore will host William Patterson at Wachenheim Field on Saturday, at 2 p.m. William Patterson earned a win in the season opener, defeating Union 1-0. Curry will travel to Union for a 2 p.m. start Saturday.