Oct. 5, 2007

Box Score

PHILADELPHIA - After two straight scoreless games, the La Salle University Women's Soccer team rebounded with a four-goal outburst against NJIT, taking the 4-0 non-conference match Friday night at McCarthy Stadium.

Heatherrae Steadman got the Explorers on the board early, knocking in a rebound off a shot by Kristin Hextall to register her first goal of the year at the 8:03 mark of the first half. La Salle is now 6-0 when they score first and all have been within the first 10 minutes of the match.

The Explorers took the 1-0 lead into intermission, despite out shooting the Highlanders 16-2 in the first half and having six corner kicks. In the game, La Salle held a 31-4 edge in shots and had a 10-0 advantage in corners.

In the second, Traci DePasquale netted a pair of shots within an eight-minute span to put the Explorers comfortably up 3-0. Her first was off a Steadman corner kick in the 53rd minute, and the second - her team-tying seventh of the season - was at the 59:58 mark with assists to Michelle Verzi and Sara Copare.

Now, with seven goals apiece, Hextall and DePasquale are just the fourth pair of La Salle teammates to each score at least seven times in the same season (1999 - Dana Gavaghan (9) and Amy Schneider (8); 2000 - Schneider (12) and Krista Lee (10); and 1987 - Lisa McDermott (17) and Meg Cardie (11)).   

In the 83rd minute of play, La Salle tallied its last goal of the night off another corner kick. Jen Broeze sent the ball into Ally Kenney, who scored her first goal of the season.

Getting the shutout win in goal for the Explorers - her first as a collegian - was Melissa Sanger. She stopped three of NJIT's (0-10-0) four shots, while the Highlanders Sadie Mele registered 10 saves in a losing effort.

La Salle (6-5-0) will now focus its attention back to the Atlantic 10 Conference - the Explorers final nine regular season matches. They return to the field Sunday at 12:30 PM at Fordham.