DOYLESTOWN, Pa.– Eastern University Women's Soccer (2-0-2) scored the first three goals of the match and held off a late rally from the host Delaware Valley University Aggies to earn a 3-2 win and remain unbeaten on the year. Ashlyn Keyes,
Billinda Leisner, and
Emma Bennett each scored in the win. It is the first time since 2010 that Eastern University Women's Soccer has gone through four matches without a loss.
Keyes scored on a beautiful volley to put the Eagles up in the seventh minute.
Paige Snell won a ball near midfield and combined with
Nicole Eveland to gain the attacking area on the right side. Eveland ripped a crossing pass toward the middle that Keyes met with her right foot. The Aggie goalkeeper did not have a chance against the close-range effort.
The Eagles doubled their lead in the 30th minute. Bennett beat a pair of Aggie defenders and then split two more with a perfectly weighted through ball to Leisner. The first year midfielder curled home a right-footed shot for her second goal of the year.
The Eagles went to halftime up 2-0 and holding a 7-4 edge in shots.
After gathering a rebound of a
Olivia Nicholson serve, Bennett put one in off the underside of the crossbar from 35 yards out to put the Eagles up three with 27 minutes to play.
That healthy lead, however, was short-lived. Ninety-seconds later. The Aggies closed the gap with a incredible volley on a corner kick. Jess WIlliamson blasted a left-footer off the underside of the crossbar from 15 yards out. Things got a little more nervous for the Eagles when the Aggies scored on another corner kick goal in the 80th minute.
Faith Leake had to make a diving save on a Williamson shot in the 87th minute and the Eagles defended one final corner to secure the win. After
Brooke Moskey was not tested in the first half. Leake had to make four stops in the second half.
" [We are] Happy to get the result we were looking for today, " Head Coach
Jess Shanahan said." We are especially pleased with the first half performance. I think we can still find improvement to finish the full 90 stronger, but we are seeing growth as a team and in many players with each game. We are focused on the next game."
The Eagles will host Immaculata University at 3:30 on Tuesday.