Syracuse, N.Y. – Sophomore forward
Elizabeth Maguire (Saratoga Springs, N.Y./Saratoga Springs) scored a pair of goals to lead the Le Moyne College women's soccer team to a 2-0 victory over Roberts Wesleyan College in the season opener for both teams on Thursday afternoon at Ted Grant Field.
After the Redhawks had a breakaway shot go over the crossbar in the 18th minute, the Dolphins struck for the only goal they would need just over 90 seconds later. Off a free kick from 42 yards out, sophomore back
Erica Wasserbach (Niskayuna, N.Y./Niskayuna) served the ball into the penalty box. Maguire raced in and one-touched the pass from her classmate and fellow Capital District native into the right side of the net from eight yards out for her second career goal.
Roberts Wesleyan's Genevieve Palmer put shots on goal at the 20:46 and 22:02 marks, but each was saved by senior goalkeeper
Anastasija Cumika (Riga, Latvia/Riga Kengarags/West Florida).
Cumika made another save at the 34:23 mark as the Dolphins carried a 1-0 lead into halftime.
Roberts Wesleyan had the first scoring threat of the second half, but a backwards header from three yards out was saved at the line by Cumika.
Le Moyne doubled its lead at the 62:31 mark as Wasserbach and Maguire connected again. After taking a cross-field pass, Wasserbach carried the ball up field before sliding a pass from 40 yards out towards the top of the box. Maguire ran on to the ball, raced past a defender and then chipped a shot from 13 yards out over the charging goalkeeper for her first career multi-goal game.
The Redhawks had shots on goal in the 68th and 78th minutes, but Cumika was able to record saves on both.
Cumika earned her 17th victory as a Dolphin and the 25th of her collegiate career after finishing the contest with six saves. The shutout is the eighth of Cumika's Dolphin career, which is tied for the fourth-most in the program's history. Kelsey Brinkel made one save in the first half in the setback for the Redhawks. Roberts Wesleyan finished the game with a 10-6 advantage in shots, including 4-2 after halftime, while holding a 5-4 edge in corner kicks.
Le Moyne (1-0) is back in action on Wednesday at Cornell University at 7:00 p.m. The matchup with the Big Red is the Dolphins' first against a Division-I opponent since August 31, 1997 against Canisius College at the Wheeling Jesuit University Tournament.