FAIRFAX, Va. – Five players scored goals and junior goalkeeper Samantha Widnick made a career-high eight saves as the La Salle women's soccer team clinched a spot in the 2026 Atlantic 10 Tournament with a 5-1 win over George Mason on Sunday, snapping the Patriots' 11-game home unbeaten streak dating back to Oct. 16, 2025.
La Salle clinched a berth in the 2026 Atlantic 10 Tournament, improving to 8-5-4 overall and 5-2-2 in A-10 play, moving into fourth place in the league standings. The Explorers ended George Mason's unbeaten home record in 2026 (8-0-1) as the Patriots fell to 9-5-3 overall and 5-3-1 in the conference, dropping to fifth in the standings.
La Salle has scored 37 goals with 49 assists in 17 games this season, ranking tied for 16th in goals and fourth in the NCAA in assists. The Explorers have recorded at least six assists in three different games this season.
Widnick secured her eighth win of the year anchored by a crucial second half, in which she made six saves to preserve the lead.
Graduate student forward Justyce Hollenbach scored in her sixth straight game, extending her league-leading totals to 14 goals and 30 points. She is now tied for sixth in the NCAA in goals during the 2026 campaign. Hollenbach has scored nine of her goals in conference play against seven different opponents.
Hollenbach has now scored 28 career goals and has recorded 65 career points. She is now sixth all-time in program history in goals and is tied with Krista Lee (2000-03) for sixth all-time in points.
Junior forward Alexis Garcia finished the contest with one goal and one assist, including her second game-winner, which came in the 37th minute. Garcia has now scored six goals this season and is tied with her teammate Shiloh Moore for sixth in the A10.
Moore, a freshman forward and A10 Rookie of the Year candidate, recorded a career-high four points and her first career multi-assist game. She tallied one goal and two assists, bringing her season totals to six in both categories. Moore ranks inside the league's top 10 in goals and top five in assists.
Sophomore forward Kayden Williams recorded her second goal and her second assist of the season. Senior defensive captain Rylee Henson reached a major milestone, converting a penalty kick for her first career goal, putting the exclamation point on the victory.
George Mason struck first in the fourth minute, tapping in a cross right on the goal line. Kyle Beauregard sent in the pass from inside the right side of the 18-yard box after Mia Arevalo-Delcid found Beauregard on a give-and-go that the Explorers' defense argued was offside.
La Salle ramped up the pressure midway through the first half and controlled possession. Hollenbach nearly found the equalizer with a left-footed strike headed towards the top right corner. However, George Mason's goalkeeper Libby Davy tipped the ball over the crossbar with a one-handed save.
Widnick made a clutch save in the 30th minute to deny Isabella Yousefi's header. On the ensuing counterattack in the 31st minute, Hollenbach blasted a right-footed shot into the top right corner from 10 yards out, scoring off a crisp left-footed cross from Moore.
Garcia gave La Salle a 2-1 lead in the 37th minute with a right-footed shot from just outside the center of the six-yard box. Moore earned her second assist of the game by sending a long throw-in into the 18-yard box, which midfielder Taylor Jourdanais flicked on with a header to collect her second assist of the season.
Assisted by Williams and Garcia, Moore gave the Explorers a 3-1 cushion in the 44th minute, sending a left-footed strike from just outside the six-yard box off the right post.
La Salle extended its lead to 4-1 in the 48th minute when Kameron Rase delivered a cross from the right side of the 18-yard box. Mount cleverly heel-flicked the cross backward to Williams, who tapped it into the lower-left corner.
Henson capped off the victory with a left-footed penalty kick that sent Davy the wrong way, prompting a jubilant celebration from Henson and the Explorers sideline.
La Salle returns to Philadelphia to host Duquesne on Senior Day in the regular-season finale on Saturday, Oct. 31. Kickoff is scheduled for noon at McCarthy Stadium. With a victory, the Explorers will host a quarterfinal game in the Atlantic 10 tournament.
