Vermont soccer: David Ismail returns to lead Cats past No. 3 Akron
Back after one game absence due to injury, David Ismail scores the lone goal in UVM soccer’s victory over Akron on Sept. 13, 2025.
Vermont women’s soccer has been one of the hottest teams in the America East. After opening conference play with a 0-0 draw against Bryant on Sept. 21, the Catamounts had strung together three consecutive wins.
The winning and goal scoring continued for Vermont at home in a 3-1 victory on Thursday, Oct. 16, against NJIT to kick off the team’s final regular-season homestand. Now Vermont has won four straight games while outscoring opponents 8-2.
“Everyone brings the energy,” senior forward Sydney Remington said. “The hard work is really paying off.”
The Catamounts (AE 4-0-1) remain three points behind first-place Binghamton (AE 5-0-1), but the win against NJIT did clinch Vermont a spot in next month’s conference tournament.
“Some of our attack players felt a lot of pressure to fill that void (of Bailey Ayer and Kate Bossert),” coach Kristi Huizenga said. “We had a lot of work to do to figure out how we’re going to do things differently, so just working through that … has led to success individually and as a team.”
Vermont has not finished in the top half of the America East standings since 2021, which was the last time the Catamounts advanced to the NCAA Tournament.
All three of Vermont’s top goal scores, seniors Remington, Lauren DeGroot and junior Madeline Gardner, contributed goals against NJIT.
Remington opened the scoring in the 32nd minute after corralling the ball off a rebound. The Catamounts’ leading scorer took a couple of dribbles before firing a shot into the bottom left corner of the goal for her sixth goal of the season.
The Catamounts were able to double their lead late in the first half. Emma Warren sent a cross into the box to DeGroot. The striker spun around a Highlander defender before having a one-on-one shot with the NJIT goalie. DeGroot didn’t miss, giving Vermont a 2-0 cushion at halftime.
NJIT cut into the Catamounts’ lead early in the second half off a corner kick, but that would be the closest the Highlanders would get. Remington’s production continued, finding Madeline Gardner for some insurance off a short-range pass in the 84th minute. Gardner buried the shot for her fourth goal of the year.
“It’s amazing that we all can make contributions,” Remington said.
Vermont dominated NJIT, outshooting the Highlanders 23-10 overall and 10-5 with shots on goal.
The Catamounts final home game of the regular season is Sunday, Oct. 19, against UMass Lowell at noon before the big clash with Binghamton.
Contact Judith Altneu at jaltneu@gannett.com. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter: @Judith_Altneu.
