Editor’s note: I do not have full roster information for Worcester.

GUILFORD, CT – Th e Connecticut Rush held off a late comeback from the Worcester Smiles to pick up a 4-2 win in United Women’s Soccer action Friday night at Bittner Park.

The Rush struck early as Kendall Patten scored after the chaos was resolving off a corner kick getting it past the Smiles keeper. It wouldn’t be long after until Brittany Simpson would center the ball to Julia Carr who would blast it off the roof of the net and in for a quick 2-0 lead. The home team had most of the early going spent in the Smiles end, and it looked like this game could get out of hand with Worcester unable to generate offense.

The Smiles were able to keep the Rush off the board for much of the half including when Anna Bagley blocked a shot in the net. The visitors then started to generate their own chances. Though the Smiles shots were largely going over the net and they hit one cross bar.

The Rush were able to notch a third tally when Simpson had a free kick which she sent diagonally into the right side of the net for a 3-0 lead late in the first.

At the half the Rush made substitutions letting much of their bench into the game. It was Kaylee Armenia who had the first goal of the half for Connecticut using footwork to navigate in past the D and get the shot she wanted and their lead was 4-0

The Smiles approached the half with renewed energy and it was a more balanced half as they were able to generate chances though an early shot once again found the cross bar roof and bounced off, and some other opportunities did not work out.

Eventually the Smiles did get break the shutout late when a shot flew at the net from afar, the keeper smacked at it but it hit the sidebar and bounced into the net.

Later Jackie Feraco raced in and outmaneuvered the keeper to find an open net to deposit the ball into and bring the score to 4-2.

Both netminders, Meaghan Phillips for the Rush, and her counterpart for Worcester, had to make plenty of saves on the day.

That would be all for the scoring before the final whistle sounded. The Rush rise to 4-2, while the Smiles drop to 1-7.