Syracuse, N.Y. – With the help of a sensational goal from junior forward Sierra Edwards (Greece, N.Y./Hilton/Monroe) in the 52^nd minute, the Le Moyne women's soccer team earned their first ever Northeast Conference victory on Thursday at Ted Grant Field over the visiting Stonehill College Skyhawks by a score of 1-0.

Aided by seven saves from graduate goalkeeper Allison Moreau (Sauquoit, N.Y./Sauquoit Valley), the Dolphins recorded their first shutout win of the 2023 campaign.

"Welcome to the Northeast Conference. Our first game against Howard, it was very close, but this one, the level of intensity, the emotion coming from both teams, it was very high level," said Le Moyne head coach Jaro Zawislan after the match. "The margin to get the result here was so minimal. We knew that one play here, one play there would decide the outcome of this game, and that's what happened. We felt after the Howard game that that was the best game our team has played at the Division I level, and the best game since we as a coaching staff have been here. But this game was on another level for our team. Great result against a side that was dangerous in attack. We were able to get the shutout, that's very important. We defended well as a group, Allison (Moreau) came up with crucial saves at the right moments. The level of work rate, focus, and quality execution on both sides of the ball by our players was the best that we have seen yet this season.

"The good news is that was our best performance yet, and I am very proud of our student-athletes and very happy for them and our coaching staff and support staff, training room and administration, the college as a whole that we were able to get that first Northeast Conference win here at home, and I wouldn't call it the bad news, but the other side of it is now everybody will expect our team to play at least as well, if not better, so we have to keep building on it and this is just another step in the right direction," Zawislan added.

Edwards took her first shot of the game in the 32^nd minute when she received the ball in the right side of Le Moyne's attacking third, dribbled to her left and ripped a shot from 25 yards out that flew just wide of the left post.

A few minutes later, Edwards and graduate midfielder Marissa Lisikatos (Cold Spring, N.Y./Haldane) worked the ball up the pitch on a Le Moyne counterattack. Edwards sent a pass to Lisikatos across midfield, then Lisikatos led Edwards into their final third with a pass between two defenders. Edwards squeezed between the two Stonehill players and continued her run into the left side of the penalty area. With a defender tightly on her, Edwards hit a left-footed shot that struck the upper part of the left post and ricocheted to the right side of the penalty area, where a Stonehill defender cleared the ball away from danger.

Moreau recorded four of her saves during the first half, and the scored remained tied 0-0 after 45 minutes of play.

In the 52^nd minute, Le Moyne left back Brooke Wilson (Rochester, N.Y./Hilton) sent a pass up the field for Hope Adigun (Clay, N.Y./Liverpool), who skillfully hit the ball out of the air to Edwards in the middle-left portion of their attacking third. Edwards began dribbling at her defender diagonally to the right, and about 25 yards from goal she unleashed a missile off her right foot that beat the diving goalkeeper and hit the back of the net to give the Dolphins a 1-0 lead.


The goal was Edwards' second of the season, and Adigun recorded her first collegiate point with an assist on the play.

Back-to-back impressive saves from Stonehill senior goalkeeper Mia Jackson in the 75^th minute prevented the Dolphins from doubling their lead. Edwards drew a foul just outside the Stonehill 18-yard box with 16:41 left in the second half, setting up a great set-piece opportunity for the 'Phins. Sophomore defender Lara Lobe (Trebnje, Slovenia/Gymnasium Novo mesto) stepped up to take the free kick, and she drove a shot towards the top of the goal. Lobe's shot was on target, and would've tucked in just below the crossbar if not for Jackson leaping in the air and knocking the ball up and over the crossbar for a corner kick.

On the ensuing corner kick, sophomore defender Jasmina Barhoumi (Worms, Germany/Nelly-Sachs-IGS/D'Youville) sent a cross from the right flag towards the edge of the six-yard box, where redshirt-junior defender/midfielder Danielle Casey (Clifton Park, N.Y./Shenendehowa) headed the ball straight down to the left of Jackson. Jackson reacted quickly, dove and made a tremendous save on the shot to knock it away for another corner kick and deny Casey of her first goal of the season.

The Skyhawks earned a free kick in their final third with just over six minutes remaining in the contest, and senior midfielder Emmy Dumaresq placed a shot on goal. Dumaresq's shot was hit hard, and took a defection off the top of the Le Moyne wall on the way towards goal. Moreau moved to her right and deflected the ball up off the crossbar, then she caught the point-blank rebound header attempt from Lily Newell to keep the clean sheet alive.

Dumaresq put a team-best four shots on goal for the Skyhawks during the game.

The 'Phins did not allow another shot on goal during the final six minutes to claim a 1-0 win and three points in the NEC Standings.

Moreau, who anchored five shutouts for the Dolphins last season, registered her first clean sheet of the campaign during the win.

The Dolphins evened their conference record to 1-1 with the victory.

"Tonight, our players will enjoy (the win), tomorrow we'll have one session, Saturday we get on the bus and head out to another conference game, a crucial game at LIU, so there's not much time to celebrate this game, but our players should enjoy this win, the historic first Northeast Conference win for the women's soccer program. They deserve this moment, they worked very hard for it, and the progress that this group has made from the first day of preseason (is evident) … we definitely have a lot of work to do, but today was a very good performance. Win and a shutout is what we strive for every game, and it's great for our players to get that first conference win, and get our first shutout at the Division I level," Zawislan concluded.

The Le Moyne women's soccer team (2-6-2) will return to action on Sunday with an NEC matchup at LIU at Noon.