ST. DAVIDS, Pa. – Eastern Women's Soccer began its 2025 season on the right foot Saturday, earning a 2-0 win over Penn State Abington at Olson Field. With crisp passing, relentless pressure, and contributions up and down the lineup, the Eagles put on a complete team performance to open the 2025-2026 home schedule.
The Eagles wasted little time setting the tone. Just seven minutes in, senior midfielder
Paige Snell rose above the defense to head home the opening goal off a second-chance cross from sophomore
Billinda Leisner, capitalizing on the team's first corner of the day. It was a textbook finish and a direct result of the squad's focused work on set pieces during the week.
Eastern doubled its lead just ten minutes later with a brilliant team sequence. Senior goalkeeper
Brooke Moskey launched a booming clearance that first-year midfielder
Molly Schellpeper expertly redirected into the path of
Emma Bennett. The speedy senior took care of the rest—slicing through the left side of the defense before slotting a shot into the bottom right corner to make it 2-0.
From there, the Eagles controlled the tempo. Eastern dominated possession and field position, dictating the pace and keeping the Lady Lions pinned in their own half for much of the afternoon. The Eagles' midfield moved the ball fluidly, creating wave after wave of attacking opportunities.
Head Coach Jessica Shanahan made full use of her roster all afternoon, and the younger Eagles made their mark. Schellpeper,
Tatum Roidl, and
Kate Malcolm impressed with their composure and creativity in the attacking third.
Ella Bansch looked right at home in the midfield in her collegiate debut, while
Meiley Shuck generated quality chances late in the match.
"We are impressed with the impact of our freshmen group," Shanahan said postgame. "They bring a lot of quality to the table."
Defensively, Eastern was rock-solid. The back line stayed organized and composed, limiting PSU Abington to just four shots—all handled comfortably by Moskey and sophomore
Faith Leake, who split the shutout effort in goal. Bennett and Schellpeper led the Eagles with four shots each, while Leisner added three of her own in a dynamic outing.
"I'm really happy with our team's performance today," Shanahan added. "There was great energy from the bench, strong combinations in the midfield, and our back line showed their strength."
Eastern (1-0) returns to Olson Field on Wednesday afternoon for a 4:00 PM clash against Rutgers-Newark.
