Oct. 15, 2016
Box Score
EASTON, Pa. – The Lafayette women’s soccer team used a stellar defensive effort and first-half goal to post its second straight shutout on Saturday at Mike Bourger ’44 Field at Oaks Stadium. The Leopards blanked Holy Cross by a 1-0 score to earn critical points in the Patriot League standings.
Lafayette, coming into the match in ninth place, but just two points out of a playoff spot and three points out of third place in the table, picked up all three points on the afternoon, moving its overall record to 5-5-4 and 2-3-1 in conference action. Holy Cross falls to 2-10-2 on the year and 1-3-2 in Patriot League play.
“There’s not going to be one game that’s more critical than another at this stage,” head coach Mick Statham said. “We’re at the time of the year where every game is important and we’ve put ourselves in position to make all of our remaining games meaningful.”
The Leopards move their point total to seven with three Patriot League games remaining on the schedule. Lafayette finished five points shy of a playoff spot a year ago, finishing the year with seven points and a 2-6-1 mark.
Defense was the story on Saturday afternoon as the Leopards allowed just six total shots from the Holy Cross attack, four of which needed to be saved. Lafayette goalkeepers Danielle Sedillo and Kelly O’Brien combined for their second straight shutout, each making two saves in 45 minutes of action.
“We knew coming into the game that it was going to be one of mental toughness,” junior defender Olivia Heitz added. “They were a tough, physical opponent, but we were able to hold it together with steel in our backbone.”
Heitz and her backline teammates played stellar throughout the afternoon, blocking cross after cross and frustrating the Crusader attack.
On the other side, it was an open-goal finish from senior Kaelin King that decided the match in the 28th minute. Finding just enough space to get a shot off in the right side of the box, senior Monica Weiss stabbed an effort toward goal that forced a diving save from Holy Cross’ Brooke Holly. However, the rebound fell right at the feet of a streaking King, who finished into the open goal for the game-winner.
Lafayette’s next game has been circled on the calendar since the start of the season as crosstown rival Lehigh comes to Easton on Wednesday evening. The game will be Lafayette’s first Athlete Ally game of the 2016-17 season.
Athlete Ally is an organization on campus striving towards teaching and informing athletes about the LGBT community as a way to end homophobia and transphobia in athletics. Opening kick on Wednesday is slated for 7 p.m.
