RADNOR, Pa.- Kelsey Doutrich scored a pair of goals and the Eastern defense held the host Cabrini Cavaliers off the board as Eastern University Women's Soccer recorded the 200th win in program history with a 3-0 win.
The Eagles came out of the gates quickly with a goal in the 4th minute of play. The action of the play started in the midfield as the ball worked from left to right back to Julie Salerno. The senior right back served a ball to the weak side where Emily Roquemore won the initial challenge with a header back into the center of the field. Kelsey Spoelstra rose up to win the challenge for the ball against the Cabrini goalkeeper outside the six yard box. Spoelstra's header fell into Doutrich's path, and the senior midfielder calmly deposited her third of year.
The Eagles continued to control play through the first twenty minutes, but despite having most of the ball, the Eagles were unable to double the lead. Having made their stand, the Cavaliers began to push the game back at the Eagles and had a chance on a through ball that Eastern keeper Alysia Goodman handled with confidence. Cabrini had the only corner of the first half, but Katelyn Rittenhouse nodded the ball away from danger to keep the Eagles in front at the intermission.
"We got the early goal by keeping the ball in the middle, and then we lost our way a bit,"Â Head Coach Dan Mouw stated. "Ritt [Rittenhouse] and Kenz [McKenzi Herbster] held things together for us for that stretch."
The Eagles started the second half with good pressure in the Cabrini half, but the Cavs picked up their best chance of the day against the run of play in the 51st minute. With the Eastern back line pressed forward, the Cavaliers played a ball in behind that Goodman looked to have a line on, but a collision at the edge of the box resulted in a 20 yard free kick directly in front of the goal. Goodman touched a strong shot from Dana Peterson over the goal.
"I told Aly at half the she was going to have to make one play," Mouw continued. "She was spot on. That play could have turned things the wrong way for us, and she stepped up and made a big save."
The Eagles defended the ensuing corner kick and then seized control of the match. The Cavaliers stopped one ball on the goal line, and the Eastern forwards had narrow misses on another couple chances until Doutrich completed her brace with an unassisted tally in the 61st minute. The senior midfielder flared into wide space on the left side for a pass from Amy Thomas and beat her defender into the box. Doutrich's shot was directed at the right post but caught a defensive player's foot and rolled in at the near post.
The Eagles completed the scoring in the 72nd minute when Rittenhouse nodded home an Ashley Graybill corner kick. The goal is the first of her career for the senior center back. Rittenhouse earned NSCAA All-Mid-Atlantic Region recognition as a freshman before missing nearly two years with injuries. Graybill's corner found her roommate at the back post. Rittenhouse was the only Eastern player to play 90 minutes in the match.
The 200th win came in the 21st season of competition for Eastern Women's Soccer.
Eastern (2-3) is back on the road this weekend for a non-league game at Elizabethtown College.
Box Score Â