Women’s Soccer Storms Past Becker, 6-1
QUINCY, Mass.- Fueled by a five-goal first half, the Eastern Nazarene women's soccer team coasted to a 6-1 victory over Becker Wednesday evening at Veterans Memorial Stadium.
The Lions run their winning-streak to seven matches while improving to 8-1-0 on the season. The Hawks fall to 2-6-0 overall with the loss.
Eastern Nazarene scored in the ninth minute to claim a 1-0 lead. Amelia Gonzales (Ballston Spa, N.Y.) headed home a free kick delivery by Maleesa Santos (Colonie, N.Y.) for her first goal of the season.
The Lions tacked on their second goal of the match in the 18th minute to doubled their lead to 2-0. Abby Spitler (Gaithersburg, Md.) back-heeled the ball to setup Santos for a long-range shot in the center of the park. Santos unleashed a one-time shot from 30 yards out, burying her attempt inside the left post for her first tally of the fall.
Katherine Lawrence (Marlborough, Conn.) tapped in her seventh score of the season in the 19th minute to push the home team's advantage to 3-0. Justine Buchanan (Ballston Lake, N.Y.) sent a cross into the box from the right wing and Speno settled the pass before feeding Lawrence in front of the open cage.
Eastern Nazarene added a goal in the 22nd minute to extend the margin to four, 4-0. Hannah Scahill (Quaker Hill, Conn.) knocked in her team-leading ninth marker of the season from the top of the six-yard box. Lawrence fed Scahill with a pass from the endline on the left side to record her third assist of the year.
The hosts added their fifth tally of the first half in the 28th minute of play as Victoria Ferland (Brooklyn, Conn.) slotted her second goal of the season into the back of the net. Ferland corralled a loose ball inside the box and rolled a shot into the goal.
The Lions owned an 18-2 gap in first-half shots and a 7-1 edge in shots on goal.
Becker got on the board in the 64th minute as Alycia Dery poked a shot past the onrushing Eastern Nazarene goalkeeper for her eighth score of the season. The tally cut the Hawks' deficit to 5-1.
The hosts responded with a goal in the 76th minute to restore their lead to five, 6-1. Lauren Kett (Norwich, England) lifted a shot over the Becker goalkeeper from the top of the penalty area to notch her second score of the fall.
The Lions finished the contest with a 34-3 margin in shots after outshooting Becker 16-1 in the second stanza. Eastern Nazarene also earned all three corner kicks awarded on the night.
Kristen Farley (Westminster, Mass.) started the match and recorded one save in 33 minutes of action. Lara Collier (Boylston, N.Y.) made her second appearance of the season between the pipes for Eastern Nazarene, playing the final 57:34 of the game.
On the opposite end of the pitch, Kaitlyn Rose made 11 stops in goal for the Hawks.
Up next, Eastern Nazarene travels to Gordon September 28.