BOX SCORE

LORETTO, Pa. (Oct. 21, 2011) – Up 1-0 at the half, the Saint Francis University women's soccer team scored a pair of insurance goals in the second en route to a 3-0 Northeast Conference victory over Bryant on Friday at DeGol Field.

With the win, the Red Flash remained unbeaten in league play, upping its record to 6-0-1 and 10-5-1, overall.  Now with 19 points, Saint Francis moved a step closer to locking up an NEC postseason berth for the second consecutive year.  SFU has not qualified for consecutive playoff berths since doing so in 2000 and 2001.

Behind the efforts of goalkeeper Brianna Butcher (East Longmeadow, Mass./East Longmeadow) and reigning adidas/NEC Defender of the Week Alecia McNiff (Marietta, Pa./Donegal ), the Red Flash pitched its second straight shutout.  Butcher made four saves as she provided her seventh goalless game of the year.

Typically a top-notch defender, McNiff also continued her recent offensive hot streak by assisting on Aryn Askin (Scottdale, Pa./Southmoreland)'s eventual game-winner in the 35th minute.

Eloá Nascimento scored the first goal of her collegiate career less than five minutes into the second half.  The Brazil native corralled a pass from senior Traci Flick (Montoursville, Pa./Montoursville) before drilling a shot from 15 yards out.  Briana Tata (Rochester, N.Y./Aquinas Institute) also collected an assist on the score.

In the 64th minute, Tesa McKibben (Cogan Station, Pa./Montoursville) provided the icing on the cake with her 11th lamp-lighter of the campaign.  The 2010 NEC Player of the Year scored on a breakaway with assists from Beatriz Maros de Carvalho (Sao Paulo, Brazil/Colegio Sagrado Coraco de Jesus) and Flick.

Bryant fell to 6-7-3 (2-4-1 NEC) with the loss.

The Red Flash plays its final regular-season home game on Sunday when it welcomes Fairleigh Dickinson for a noon contest.