Aug. 22, 2010
Box Score
PHILADELPHIA - La Salle University Women's Soccer opened its 2010 season with a convincing 5-0 victory over the visiting Canisius Golden Griffins at McCarthy Stadium Sunday afternoon. Leigh Gray had a five-point game, Renee Washington scored the game-winner, and Gabby Pakhtigian earned the shutout victory.
La Salle has now won four straight season openers for the second time in the program's history, last doing it from 1997-2000. Since the 1997 season, the Explorers are 9-3-2 in openers and are 4-2-2 under Head Coach Paul Royal.
Combining on the game winner just two minutes into the game was Jess Hopton, who registered her first career assist after taking a free kick from 50 yards out. Gray redirected it with a header and Washington netted her first collegiate goal.
Just over three minutes later, Gray took a pass from Anna Dolhansky from about 25-yards out and blasted it in the net for her first college goal. She would add another goal in the 66th minute to post a five-point game, the most by an Explorer not named Traci DePasquale (she had three in her career) since Heather Barclay had a six-point day (three goals) on September 12, 2004 at Fordham. She also became only the second Explorer (Tracey Spinelli, 8/28/99) in the program's 25-year history to have a five-point game in a season-opener.
It was a great return to the field for Gray, who had played just one game in her La Salle career before Sunday's contest, on August 29, 2008 versus Delaware State in which she recorded an assist, but she has been sidelined since due to injury.
Dolhansky would notch her first goal in the 28th minute off assists from Erin Brennan and Kierstyn Mabey, while Dani Allizzo notched her first career goal off a pass from Kelly O'Steen with just under three minutes remaining in the first to lift La Salle to a 4-0 lead at the break.
In all, four Explorers scored their first collegiate goals (two were freshmen), while four (two freshmen) also registered their first career collegiate assist, which includes Courtney Niemiec, who fed Gray for the Explorers final tally of the afternoon.
In net for La Salle (1-0) was Pakhtigian, who improved her career record to 5-2 with four shutouts and lowered her goals allowed average to 1.25.
The Explorers return to action this upcoming weekend, taking part in the TD Bank Tournament in Burlington, VT. They face New Hampshire on Friday at 1 PM and then take on the host Vermont on Sunday at 1:30 PM.
