Corie Brant found a good rhythm and went with it. The senior left back scored three first half goals and set up a fourth as Eastern University Women's Soccer rolled to a 6-0 win over Wilkes University in the Freedom Conference Semifinals. The Eagles will host Delaware Valley College at 1:00 pm on Saturday.
Brant started her scoring spree in the eleventh minute when she picked off a pass forty-five yards from goal. The reigning Freedom Conference defensive player of the week beat a pair of defenders and fired a low shot just inside the left post for her second goal of the year. Brant doubled the Eastern advantage just four minutes later when Ashley Hackman picked up a pass from the right side of the field and found her roommate with space in front of her on the left side. Brant took a single touch into the box and put a left-footed blast into the upper left corner of the goal.
Three minutes later, Brant played the role of provider when she fizzed a curling cross into the danger area in front of the goal that Hackman headed home for her team-best 13th goal of the year. Brant finished the hat trick in the 31st minute of action on a neat pass from first-year forward Tess Beckwith.
"Corie is a very good player for us," said Eastern Head Coach Dan Mouw, "she gives us an extra attacking dimension. With some of our defensive emphasis, she has felt a little grounded for much of the year, but she did a great job seeing opportunities to go forward today. I was really pleased to see her enjoy herself so much."
The Eastern back line had work to do at the other end of the field as well. Steffie Sauder and Amy Achey had the task of shutting down Taryn Hallowell. The Colonels' first-year standout entered the afternoon with eight goals in her last five games. The Eastern back line held her without a shot for the day.
Up 4-0 at the break, the Eagles continued to move the ball and create chances in the second half. Lauren Roe finished a curling shot from the right side that dipped just under the bar. Kristine Zeiset set up the goal as she pulled a Tanya Lang cross out of the air and knocked it behind the Wilkes defender for Roe. Roe's second career marker came in the 67th minute.
Beckwith finished the scoring with a nicely headed tally on another good ball from Lang.
Mouw said of the day, "We knew that Wilkes has had to survive a tough gauntlet of games coming into today, and that if we could solve them early the game might unlock. Corie's work in the first half was really critical to our success today. Our central defenders did a great job managing the game and limiting Hallowell's touches."
The Eagles, winners of eight straight matches, will attempt to earn their second conference championship in as many years when they take on Delaware Valley on Saturday. Delaware Valley advanced to Saturday's final with a 2-1 double overtime home win over Manhattanville College.
