Aug. 30, 2009
Box Score
PHILADELPHIA - For the third straight season, La Salle Women's Soccer registered a shutout in its home opener, this time blanking visiting UM-Baltimore County, 5-0, behind a five-point game from Traci DePasquale, Sunday at McCarthy Stadium.
The senior started the afternoon with an assist on the game-winner just 20 minutes into the contest and added a pair of insurance goals on either side of the break to push the Explorer lead to three.
With her two goals and assist Sunday, she increased her career numbers to 22 goals (fifth all-time at La Salle), 21 assists (fourth), and 65 career points (tied for third). She is also just the second player in La Salle history to reach the 20-20 mark in the 24-year history of the program (Amy Schneider, 1999-02).
In net for the Explorers was junior Melissa Sanger, adding to some of her career numbers. She made three saves in the contest to notch her seventh career shutout (fourth all-time at the school) and her 16th career victory (tied for third).
La Salle (3-0) got on the board 19:59 into the match when Morgan Golden settled DePasquale's cross and blasted it into the back of the net for her first goal of the season.
The Explorers added a second one in the 33rd minute as Ally Kenney set up DePasquale for a 20-yard strike. It was the same pair just two minutes after the half, but this time DePasquale's initial shot was stopped by UMBC goalie Mo Van Vlerah, but she could not control it, and DePasquale knocked in the rebound.
Kierstyn Mabey scored her second goal of the year off a Sara Copare assist - the second of the season for her - in the 59th minute. Golden added an assist to her day on Lauren Cittadino's first of the year with less than seven minutes left in the contest.
UMBC (0-2) had a couple of scoring chances in the first half, a 30-yard strike by Rachel McKee and a free kick by LeAnne Edgar, but Sanger made the stops.
Sanger picked up her second win of the season, while Van Vlerah, who made four saves in the game, dropped her second match of the year.
With the victory, La Salle improves to 3-0 for the second straight year and for only the fourth time in school history. None of the previous three squads won their fourth, which the Explorers will look to do, Tuesday night at Lafayette, with a 7 PM kickoff,
The win was also Head Coach Paul Royal's 50th at the school.
