Syracuse, N.Y. – The Le Moyne College women's soccer team claimed their third consecutive Northeast-10 Conference victory on Saturday afternoon by taking down the visiting Southern Connecticut State University Owls by a score of 1-0 on Ted Grant Field.

The Dolphins put in another impressive complete team performance against the Owls to earn three more points in the conference standings.

Allison Moreau (Sauquoit, N.Y./Sauquoit Valley) made three saves during the game to record her fifth clean sheet of the season. Moreau's poise and veteran leadership in goal paid dividends for the 'Phins down the stretch as the Owls were applying pressure in an effort to equalize. She came off her line confidently when she needed to and disrupted multiple SCSU corner kicks late in the game.

Sophomore forward Brooke Wilson (Rochester, N.Y.) scored her first goal of the season in the 11^th minute to put the 'Phins up 1-0 and Le Moyne was able to hold that lead until the final buzzer.

While it was the first time that Wilson has hit the back of the net in 2022, her impact on the team's success this season is unmistakable. Wilson has been utilized as the lone striker for Le Moyne in recent games due to her speed, tremendous conditioning and competitive drive that has helped Le Moyne cause turnovers in the opponent's half as well as create scoring chances in their attacking third.

For the 11^th time this season, sophomore Katelyn Courcy (Syracuse, N.Y./Christian Brothers Academy) played the full 90 minutes at center back for the 'Phins.

Courcy has been superb in the back for Le Moyne all season long, and once again on Saturday she used her speed and defensive skills to stymie several promising SCSU attacking sequences.

After not appearing in the team's first five games, senior Reagan Sames (Rexford, N.Y./Shenendehowa) played the full 90 minutes for the sixth consecutive game, playing alongside Courcy at center back. Sames seems to always be positioned on the field well and has been an important part of Le Moyne's attack on set pieces such as corner kicks or free kicks in the opponent's half taken by Hildur Unnarsdóttir (Kópavogur, Iceland/Commercial College of Iceland).


Unnarsdóttir played all 90 minutes at right back for the 'Phins, while freshman Jadyn Kantak (Baldwinsville, N.Y./C.W. Baker) and redshirt sophomore Magda Aspholm (Östersund, Sweden/Jämtlands Gymnasium Wargentin) split time at left back.

"It was a very mature win. The team has shown how much they've grown from the first day of preseason with performances like today against a very good, quality, and well coached Southern Connecticut State team. Scoring the goal early in the game was very important. The team has shown a lot of composure and experience in keeping the team shape very disciplined throughout the game. We were still looking for the second goal to open up the game a little bit more, however this is the Northeast-10 Conference, every game almost feels like a postseason game. The games [in conference play] are very close and the difference between losing and getting a positive result can come down to one play here and there. We were very proud of the team with how they managed the lead, especially late in the game when Southern Connecticut State pushed numbers forward to find the equalizer. The team stayed organized defensively, while still looking for the second goal in transition and we managed the latter part of the game very well. The team is going to enjoy a day off tomorrow, and they will enjoy this win with their families. On Monday, we get back to work in preparation for next week's opponent," said Le Moyne Interim Head Coach Jaro Zawislan.
 
With 34:35 remaining in the first half Lainey Foti (Syracuse, N.Y./Jamesville-DeWitt) made a tackle near midfield and won possession back for the Dolphins. Lindsey LeBlanc (Westminster, Mass./St. Bernard's) got the loose ball and sent a pass up the left wing for Wilson. Wilson took a touch towards the goal line then began on a diagonal path towards the left post.

The sophomore forward dribbled into the left side of the SCSU penalty area then hit a shot with her right foot that snuck between the goalkeeper and the near post to give Le Moyne an early 1-0 advantage.

Following a Le Moyne throw in near their right corner flag in the 63^rd minute, Foti got the ball in the right side of a crowded Southern Connecticut State 18-yard box. With two defenders close by Foti took two small touches to her left before drilling a shot with her left foot that was on goal and headed for the right side of the net. SCSU goalkeeper Abby Allen dove to her left and made a great save to keep the Owls' deficit at one goal.

As the Owls were desperately searching for the equalizer, the Dolphins did a god job of staying composed and keeping their shape as evidenced by two offsides calls against SCSU within the final five minutes of the game.

With the win the Dolphins improved their conference record to 3-4-1 which puts them at 6^th place in the NE10 standings with 10 points.

The Le Monye College women's soccer team will get a week off before their next game, an NE10 battle at home against Bentley University, who currently has seven points in the conference standings through seven games.