AMHERST, MA - Sophomore Dana Giordano tallied twice and junior Kristin Hextall scored the game-winner and added an assist to help the La Salle University Women's Soccer team register its first Atlantic 10 victory of the season, a 3-1 win over Massachusetts, Sunday afternoon at Rudd Field.

 

Giordano opened the scoring in the 35th minute with a 15-yard strike to the lower left side of the net. Recording assists on the goal were juniors Jenna Guagenti and Kim Lisun, which was her team-leading third of the season.

 

The Minutewomen (7-3-0, 1-1-0 A-10) responded just one minute later with an unassisted goal by Vanessa Patry, her fourth of the year. Off a corner kick, she collected an attempted clear and shot to the top right to even the score at the 35:52 mark of the first half.

 

In the 64th minute, freshman Becky McGuigan recorded her first collegiate point on the eventual game-winner, as she took a free kick from 50-yards out. Hextall found the back of the net off the kick for her first goal of the season. It was also her sixth game-winning goal of her career.

 

Hextall teamed with Giordano in the 81st minute for an insurance goal, Giordano's team-leading fourth of the season. The three goals is the most for the Explorers this year and the most since a 4-2 win at Fairleigh Dickinson last year (9/23). The win is also the first victory not at home for La Salle this season, who had lost its first five away from McCarthy Stadium.

 

Amy Grant won her second game in net for the Explorers, as she recorded two saves. Massachusetts' goalkeeper Kristin Walker made seven saves in the game as La Salle outshot the Minutewomen 18-11.