SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The Castleton women's soccer team traveled south to take on Skidmore College Saturday afternoon, dropping a 4-0 decision against the Thoroughbreds in their first road test of the season.
 
Skidmore (1-0) took just two minutes to open the game's scoring off a cross from Kyra Russman-Araya that found the foot of Molly Cunningham to make it 1-0. Russman-Araya caused problems for the Spartans (0-2) all game, scoring a brace to go along with her two assists on the afternoon.
 
Goalkeeper Alex Benfatti and the Castleton defense did well to hold off Skidmore's offensive onslaught over the next 10 minutes, saving two shots and blocking another two, but goals in the 17^th and 21^st minutes extended the Thoroughbreds lead to three heading into the half.
 
The second half brought much of the same as Skidmore made it a 4-0 game just six minutes in on Russman-Araya's second of the day, but Castleton responded well over the final 40 minutes.
 
Despite getting just one shot on net in the game, the Spartans rattled off four shots in the span of eight minutes after the Thoroughbred's goal, with their best chance coming in the 86^th minute when a Rylee Pepin shot from just inside the 18-yard box ricocheted off the post and back out for what would have been her first of the season. Benfatti also looked much-improved in goal in the second, making five of her seven saves in the half.
 
The Spartans next chance to earn their first win of the season comes against Norwich Wednesday, September 7. The game will be played at Dave Wolk Stadium with kickoff set for 7 p.m.