ST. DAVIDS, Pa. - The duo of Gabi Hollinger and Brynn Rathsam, combined with another strong performance by the Eastern defense, resulted in the Eagles' third straight win — a 2-1 triumph over Immaculata at Olson Field on Saturday morning. Hollinger scored a pair of goals six minutes apart in the second half, giving her three goals in the past three matches, while Rathsam followed up her overtime winner at Neumann with a pair of assists.
The three-match win streak is the longest for the Eagles this season, and the victory also kept Eastern's unbeaten record at home intact.
"I'm extremely proud of the entire team for their attitude and positivity in training and at games," Eastern Head Coach AJ Stueck said. "They have worked very hard to earn this winning streak."
While the Mighty Macs controlled possession early in the match, the Eagles found their groove in the final 20 minutes of the first half, compiling six shots and putting consistent pressure on the Immaculata defense. Rathsam and Ashley Hollinger had a pair of brilliant chances in the 32nd minute, but Immaculata goalkeeper Brooke Shissler made a pair of incredible saves to keep the game scoreless.
However, it did not take long for Rathsam and Hollinger to connect in the second half. In the 54th minute, Rathsam laid a perfect pass across the field to a streaking Hollinger, who dribbled around Shissler and placed the ball in the bottom right corner of the net. In the 62nd minute, Hollinger scored from the exact same spot off another crisp pass from Rathsam, giving the Eagles a 2-0 advantage — one they would not relinquish.
"Gabi was on fire today," Stueck said. "She has that special ability to bring the crowd to their feet. She definitely deserved both goals today. And Brynn is consistently bringing her very best. She is having a stellar season and continues to make the smart soccer decision."
Immaculata was able to cut the Eastern lead in half with a goal in the 86th minute, but the Eastern defense buckled down after that, not allowing any more scoring chances. The Eagles allowed just seven shots in the contest, while finishing with 16 of their own. Isabella Vasquez improved to 2-0 on the season in goal, making three saves.
Eastern Women's Soccer will be back in action at Olson Field on Tuesday when it squares off against Gwynedd Mercy. Kickoff is set for 4:00 pm.
"I was very pleased with the number of chances we created, and believe we are continuing to get better each game," Stueck said. "I'm excited to see how we build on this performance on Tuesday."
