Sept. 11, 2016
Box Score
EASTON, Pa. – A tally in the ninth minute was all Brown needed against the Lafayette women’s soccer team at Mike Bourger ’44 Field at Oaks Stadium on Sunday afternoon, defeating the Leopards by a 1-0 margin in the final non-conference game before Patriot League play.
The Leopards could not find their offensive footing on the day, managing seven shots with six on goal, but just a late penalty kick that really threatened Brown keeper Christine Etzel. Etzel was able to make a diving save to her right on the penalty opportunity to keep Lafayette off the board.
The loss is the second straight for the Maroon and White after an unbeaten streak over the first five games of the year and the first defeat at home this season. It drops Lafayette’s overall record to 3-2-2 and improves Brown to 3-1-1 on the year.
Shots finished at 10-7 in favor of the visitors and Brown took eight corners compared to three for the Leopards. Lafayette goalkeepers Danielle Sedillo and Kelly O’Brien combined for five saves on the afternoon with Sedillo giving up the lone goal in the opening half. Etzel finished with six saves for the Bears.
“I thought we did a lot of good things and don’t think either team had a lot of clear-cut chances,” head coach Mick Statham said. “I thought the goal they scored was really high quality and she took the chance really well. The game was played a lot between the 18-yard boxes. I thought we did some good things, but so did they.”
Brown was threatening offensively right from the get-go, working an excellent chance just eight minutes into the contest. Sydney Calas worked her way down the right side and connected on a cross with Carly Gould for a one-time volley that forced a diving save by Sedillo to her right.
Unfortunately, that chance set the stage for the goal as Gould won a ball at the top of the box on a failed Lafayette clear just a minute later. The Bears’ leading scorer finished on the low left side past Sedillo for the winner.
Lafayette threatened with a trio of chances in the match, one midway through each stanza and one late. In the 23rd minute, senior Monica Weiss found some open space deep in the Brown defensive zone, sending a turnaround shot from point-blank range right at Etzel for the save.
The second threat came in the 60th minute. Senior Melissa Lynskey won a ball through pressure and found Kaelin King for another spinning shot toward the right corner. Etzel thwarted her effort as well with a diving save to her left and stopped a penalty-kick effort from sophomore Katie Brannigan in the 87th minute to seal the win.
The Leopards have a full week of practice before the second season begins as Patriot League action opens on Saturday with a home contest versus Loyola. Opening kick is slated for 2 p.m.
