Sept. 8, 2007

Box Score

CHICAGO, IL - After suffering its first defeat of the season, the La Salle University Women's Soccer team came out firing against Loyola - scoring two first-half goals - but then needed a game-winner from Kristin Hextall in the 78th minute to register a 3-2 win over the Ramblers at Loyola Soccer Park, Saturday in non-conference action.

Down 2-0 at the half, Loyola mounted a comeback and at the 76:19 mark of the match, Cynthia Morote-Ariza tied the game at 2-all with her first goal of the season.

 

It took La Salle just 1:30 to get the lead back, after a Heatherrae Steadman free kick. Rambler goalie Colleen Dougherty attempted to collect the kick, but misplayed ball, and Hextall was there to tap the ball into the net and give the Explorers the lead, which they held on to for the victory.

 

For Hextall, it was her third goal of the season, her second game-winner - the 10th of her Blue and Gold career. She is now tied for fourth on the school's all-time list for goals in a career with 21 (Linda Madeja, 1989-92), sixth all-time in assists, and just moved past former Explorer Tracey Spinelli (54, 1997-00) on the career points list, now fifth with 55.

 

With the victory, La Salle now ties the second-best start in school history with the 1997, 1998, and 2000 squads, who all were 3-1 after four matches. Only the 1995 team was better, with a 3-0-1 mark, but that team finished just 4-12-2.

 

In their first two wins of the year, the Explorers scored within the game's first 10 minutes and it was no different in this match, as Traci DePasquale netted her third goal of the year, as well, just three minutes into the action, off an assist from Hextall.

 

La Salle, which was ranked 15th in the Mid-Atlantic Region by Soccer Buzz entering the week, took a two-goal lead when Lauren Cittadino scored her first collegiate goal just before the half off a cross from DePasquale.

 

Loyola (1-3), who was ranked 13th in the Great Lakes Region, cut the lead in half five minutes out of the break when Brown scored off an assist from Sarah McPartlan, then tied it up in the 77th minute. It was all for not, however, as the Explorers responded with the Hextall tally.

 

Lauren Malizia earned the victory in net for the Explorers, improving her own record to 3-1, while Dougherty suffered the loss for the Ramblers.

 

La Salle (3-1) now returns home for two matches next weekend, first hosting Manhattan on Friday night at McCarthy Stadium starting at 7 PM, and then Sacred Heart on Sunday, Sept. 16 with kickoff at 1 PM.