DOYLESTOWN, Pa.- Eastern University Women's Soccer needed a
pair of late goals to escape with a 3-1 win in an important Freedom
Conference contest at Delaware Valley College (5-5-2, 1-2 Freedom).
Charlotte Laurie scored what turned out to be the game-winner in the
84th minute and Ashley Graybill buried a free kick in the 88th minute
for the final margin.
The visiting Eagles controlled play from the
outset, but despite an 8-0 edge in shots and a 7-0 edge in first half
corners, they were only able to muster a single goal in the opening
frame. The games first tally, ironically, came as the Aggies escaped
their end late in the half. Junior Goalkeeper Alysia Goodman's drop kick
hit Amy Thomas a couple steps past midfield, and Thomas flicked a touch
into space for Kelsey Doutrich. Doutrich ran onto the ball and slotted
home her seventh goal of the year.
The damage could have been
worse for the Aggies, but Julie Burnell turned away five shots and the
Delaware Valley defense cleared another ball off the line on a corner
kick play.
Eastern had a couple great chances go begging in the
opening minutes of the second half, and the Aggies earned a break on a
corner kick on a rare foray into the Eastern end. Kara Fecanin served a
tight ball onto the goal and a pair of Delaware Valley players applied
pressure on Goodman. When the ball popped free Dana Gentile was in the
right place to touch home her 11th of the year with 32 minutes
remaining.
"We relaxed in the second half," Head Coach Dan Mouw
explained, "and they capitalized. They earned the corner when we failed
to communicate and they got the goal by being tough in the box. It
served as an important wake-up call for us."
With the game tied,
the Eagles increased the pressure, and Delaware Valley built their
defenses up even closer to their own goal. Chance after chance went
unfinished until Laurie finally capitalized on a Graybill through ball.
Burnell put her hands to the ball, but the power of the shot from in
close was sufficient to get the ball all the way across the line before
an Aggie defender kicked it clear.
With a one goal edge, the
Eastern attack created several more great chances, but two shots went
wide and Burnell stopped another before Thomas earned a free kick about
eight yards outside the top of the box. After asking the referee for ten
yards, Graybill hit a dipping shot just under the bar for her fourth
goal in the last five games.
The Eagles (7-4-2, 3-0 Freedom) host Freedom favorite Misericordia University this Saturday at noon.
Box Score
