Box Score ROCKVILLE CENTRE, N.Y. (Oct. 16, 2015) - A first-half goal from senior midfielder
Shannon Murphy (North Babylon, N.Y.) was more than enough for the Molloy College women's soccer team in claiming a 2-0 victory over Saint Thomas Aquinas Friday at Dean G. Skelos Sports Complex. The Lions are now 6-5-2 overall and 3-3 in ECC play while STAC falls to 3-9 on the season with a 1-5 mark in conference competition.
Molloy controlled play from the early onset as the Lions opened with four shots in the first six minutes of play. Efforts by junior forward
Danielle Valente (South Setauket, N.Y.) were corraled by freshman goalie Courtney Dumain (Monroe, N.Y.), while shots by senior
Alicia Mercurio (Williston Park, N.Y.) and sophomore
Sam Bernieri (Massapequa, N.Y.) were not on target. In the 19th minute, Murphy put the maroon and white on the board with her second goal of the year. Valente sent in a cross that was headed out by a Spartan defender but not fully cleared away from the 18-yard box. Murphy settled the ball to her feet and slid a shot that beat Dumain into the lower left corner of the net. The Lions nearly grabbed a second goal in the opening 45 minutes as Valente lifted a shot over the head of the freshman goalie, but the crossbar prevented the junior from picking up the tally.
Saint Thomas Aquinas took just three shots in the first half, and the lack of offense would turn into Molloy defenders getting opportunities as red-shirt senior
Annette Mims (Patchogue, N.Y.) took a free kick that was parried bysecond-half keeper Lauren Morales (Tobyhanna, Pa.) in the 48th minute of action. Six minutes later, Valente notched her third goal of the week and team-leading sixth goal of the season on a play where Morales came out of her net for a ball that was well outside the 18-yard box. Valente kept possession away from the keeper on the near sideline and lifted a ball that curled over the head of Morales and bounced into the net. Any chance that the Spartans had to come back into the match was dashed by the total control of tempo and ball-handling from the maroon and white, as Molloy totaled 24 shots overall and took 14 in the second stanza.
Valente took a game-high eight shots with five on target, while Murphy and sophomore
Felicia LaPera (West Babylon, N.Y.) each had three shots and two targets. Junior goalkeeper
Gabrielle Batista (Hicksville, N.Y.) stopped the two shots that were on target from the Spartans in earning her fourth shutout of the season.
The Molloy College women's soccer team will have a daunting task when the team takes the pitch on Saturday, Oct. 24. The Lions will host Bridgeport in an ECC tilt at 7 p.m. The Purple Knights currently sit in second place in the conference with a 12-1 record, a 4-0 mark in conference play and a No. 7 ranking in the nation. Be sure to follow www.MolloyLions.com for all the latest stats, news and information concerning your Molloy Lions women's soccer team.
