ASTON, Pa. - A brilliant second half, combined with more overtime heroics, resulted in Eastern Women's Soccer's second straight victory on Wednesday evening at Neumann. After assisting on
Gabi Hollinger's overtime goal against Shenandoah,
Brynn Rathsam netted the overtime game winner against the Knights, lifting the Eagles to their second consecutive 1-0 triumph and their first victory on the road this season.
"I'm very proud of the team for finding ways to win games," Eastern Head Coach
AJ Stueck said. "I'm especially happy we got our first road win as it's always difficult to travel and secure points."
The Eagles dominated both possession and field position throughout the contest but particularly after halftime. In the final 49 minutes, Eastern held a commanding 17-4 advantage in shots, which included 12 shots on target. Hollinger, who played all 94 minutes, took a season-high nine shots, six of which were on goal. while
Sydney Koncsol finished with four and Rathsam added three.
Eastern's back line kept the Neumann attack at bay, allowing just six total shots in the contest. First-year goalkeeper
Emily Honig notched her second straight shutout, making a pair of saves in the victory.
"Credit to our entire defensive unit and team for getting another shutout," Stueck said. "We also got a nice lift off the bench from a few players, which is crucial for us to be a good team."
After failing to put away several high-quality scoring chances late in the second half, including one from a combination of Koncsol and
Lindsay Kline right in the goal mouth, Rathsam wasted little time in the overtime period. The sophomore midfielder created for space for herself at the top of the penalty box and fired, punching the ball into the bottom right corner of the net.
"Brynn continues to find ways to rise to the occasion in big moments," Stueck said. "She's been an absolute star so far this season."
With the victory, Eastern improved its all-time record against the Knights to 13-0.
Eastern will look to make it three straight wins on Saturday morning when they return to Olson Field to square off against Immaculata. Kickoff is scheduled for 11:00 am.
