Kristin Watson has 11 goals and a pair of assists, but has only started in one game. The junior forward has made her mark with those 11 goals, as four of them have turned out to be game-winners. Watson struck again this afternoon as she scored shortly after re-entering the match in the second half to lift the Eagles to a 2-0 victory over a strong Moravian squad.
Gray skies with spurts of spitting rain made ball control a challenge in the first half of the match, and neither team was able to make much of an impression on the game. Both teams entered the day's match with just three losses, and neither team seemed willing to compromise defensive integrity to take chances at goal. Each team picked up two corner kicks for the half, and the first shot on goal for either team in the opening frame came on an ambitious 35 yard strike from Eastern central defender Liza O'Keefe in the 14th minute. Moravian's Caitlin Corrigan easily gobbled up the save. she would finish with a pair of saves in the 0-0 first half and a total of eight for the game.
The second half saw the two teams trade chances early with the Greyhounds beginning to generate more chances as the hour mark of the game approached. In the 61st minute Alessandra Valdetara cracked a blistering shot from 35 yards out that Amanda Daveler saved and smothered after a tough skip on the wet turf. The junior goalkeeper then became part of the solution to her teams offensive troubles as her punt found junior midfielder Ashley Hackman's head. A strong directional head put Watson in behind the Moravian backs, and she calmly slotted the ball into the lower right corner to give the Eagles the advantage.
Watson scored the game-winner in overtime on Monday night against York. Both York and Moravian were in the most recent NSCAA Mid-Atlantic Rankings. Coach Mouw said of Watson's goal, "Kristin has done this for us all year. Her work coming into games has given us a lift in every contest, and we feel that her ability to create chances with her speed, work rate, and timing helps us to be dangerous throughout the match. I am thrilled with her willingness to embrace her role and her productivity in it."
Late in the 76h minute, the Eagles picked up a restart on the right side near midfield. Liza O'Keefe lifted a long ball into the box. Ashley Hackman headed home her tenth of the year to give the Eagles a level of comfort to finish the day. Coach Mouw said of the game, "We looked at the first half of the game and kind of grimaced. No style points, but we limited their chances. After Amanda's save, and Kristin's goal, I thought we really relaxed and were able to change speeds in the match. Once we became a little less direct in our approach, we became much more dangerous."
Amanda Daveler made just the one save, but managed her box well to pick up the shutout.
The Eagles, now 16-3, have a full week off to prepare for a yet-to-be-determined opponent in the PAC Semi-Finals next Wednesday at 2:00 pm.
Box Score
