Aug. 19, 2012

Box Score

(1-0-1) 1 2 F Lafayette 1 1 2 Howard 0 0 0 Box Score (PDF) | Box Score | Behind The Roar Blog (0-2-0)

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Lafayette completed a successful opening weekend with a 2-0 victory over Howard on Sunday afternoon at Greene Stadium. Jill Dozier and Laura Zito provided the scoring, while Lauren Smedley picked up her 22^nd career clean sheet.

Six minutes into the game, Lafayette (1-0-1) jumped out to a 1-0 lead when Nicole Brownell's diagonal ball from the right sideline sailed over the Howard (0-2-0) defense and connected with Dozier. Lafayette's senior striker ran onto the bouncing ball and put it past Kyra Dickinson, who came out to challenge Brownell's cross.

"Nicole played a beautiful ball across and I was wide open in the middle," Dozier said. "The ball actually went off my knee, but a goal is a goal and I'll take it."

Lafayette continued to apply pressure offensively, generating scoring chances throughout the remainder of the half. Brownell's 25-yard free kick in the 23rd minute was headed toward the upper right corner before Dickinson tipped it over the bar. Four minutes later, Brownell's corner kick found Bridget Becker's head, but Bison defender Treschelle Gibson-Serrette held her position on the near post and cleared the ball away.

A free kick in the center of the field 20 yards from goal gave Dozier a shot in the 31^st minute, but Howard's wall blocked the attempt. The ricochet bounced to Brownell, but her shot went high over the bar.

The Maroon and White extended its advantage to 2-0 early in the second half when Samantha Potoczak sent a pass from the left side to the top of the penalty area where Zito lunged and deposited her first goal of the season past the oncoming Dickinson. Potoczak's assist was the first of her career.

With less than nine minutes remaining, Dozier headed a cross from Anna Wissler off the crossbar, keeping the margin at 2-0. Lafayette dominated the game statistically, outshooting Howard 24-5 and earned five corner kicks without surrendering any.

"I thought we applied ourselves very well in difficult conditions," head coach Mick Statham said. "In the second half we went into another gear and really played well as we controlled virtually every aspect of the game."

Lafayette returns to action on Aug. 31at 7 p.m. when it travels to Fairfield, Conn. to play Sacred Heart.

Notes:

Dozier's 10^th career tally makes her the 10^th player in Lafayette history to score 10 career goals

Smedley's 22^nd shutout puts her in a tie for seventh on the Patriot League's all-time list.

Caroline Craver made her first career start on defense.