PHILADELPHIA - After five clean sheets to start the season, the La Salle women's soccer team faces perhaps their toughest test thus far with a Sunday afternoon tilt against regional-rival Princeton. 

"We are definitley looking to defend, it's been our focus all preseason and Sunday will be no different," said head coach Paul Royal.  "Princeton is a very athletic, fast, uptempo squad and we will have to be very sound defensively."

The Explorers (4-0-1) are one of only two teams in the nation that have yet to surrender a goal thus far in 2011.  City-rival Penn is the only other squad to keep a clean sheet this year.  

"I've been very impressed with our versatility so far this season," Royal said.  "We have played at a high level and have been helped out with some great goalkeeping play as well."

Redshirt senior keeper Melissa Sanger is currently one shutout away from tying the all-time La Salle career record of 16, held by Kaitlin Glass.  Sanger's 24 career victories is also second on the all-time list behind Glass.  Sanger was named the PhillySoccerNews.com Player of the Week for her two-shutout performance last weekend against Northeastern and Albany. 

Offensively, La Salle is led by two underclassmen, sophomore Renee Washington and freshman Kelsey Haycook, who have each scored four goals through five games this season. 

"All they need is a half chance and they can put one in the back of the net," said Royal.  "They are both exceptional finishers and have become a very dangerous scoring tandem early in their careers."

Statistically, Washington and Haycook are 44th in the nation with 0.8 goals per game.  Jess Hopton is also ranked 11th in the country with 0.8 assists per game.  

Sanger leads the nation a with a 0.00 goals against average and a perfect save percentage, one of just four keepers in the country to boast such numbers.

As a team, La Salle is ranked 62nd in the nataion in total offense with an average of 2.0 goals per game. 

Princeton will have one more match before taking on the Explorers and will play nationally-ranked William & Mary on the road Friday night before returning to New Jersey on Sunday to take on La Salle. 

The Tigers lead the all-time series 5-0 and have outscored La Salle 28-3 in the five previous matchups.  The two teams have not met since Sept. 27, 2005 when Princeton won a 4-0 decision.

Game Capsule:
La Salle at Princeton
Sunday, September 18, 1 p.m. - Roberts Stadium
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