LORETTO, Pa. – The Saint Francis women's soccer team moved to 4-0 in Northeast Conference play for the third time in four years on Sunday when the Red Flash defeated Sacred Heart, 3-0, Sunday afternoon at Stokes Soccerplex.
Saint Francis won each of its two games this weekend by identical 3-0 scores, and the two first half Flash goals were scored by players who also scored in Friday's victory over Bryant. In the 17th minute,
Gabi Morales (Madrid, Spain/Colegio La Inmaculada-Marillac) was pulled down in the box and the Pioneers were whistled for a foul. That set up a penalty kick for SFU, and freshman
Shannon McGinnis (Macungie, Pa./Emmaus) took the shot for the Flash. She beat Sacred Heart keeper Talia Schwartz low left to give the Flash an early 1-0 lead. McGinnis scored her first career goal on Friday.
In the 27th minute,
Allison LaDuke (Greensburg, Pa./Greater Latrobe) sent a pass from the left side into the box on the right side to a waiting
Casey Gallaher (Sidman, Pa./Forest Hills). The junior settled the pass and beat Schwartz to give the Flash a 2-0 advantage. Gallaher has now scored in four consecutive games – all Saint Francis victories.
Goalkeeper
Romina Kunze (Frankfurt, Germany/Carl-von-Weinberg-Schule) helped keep the lead with a great stop on Alex Mesropyan in the 20th minute. She found herself open on the left side from just a few yards away, but her low shot was turned away by Kunze to keep it 1-0. Soon after Gallaher scored to make it 2-0, the Pioneers had several opportunities to cut the lead back to one as they had four corner kicks in two minutes and eight in 12 minutes following the Gallaher goal. Every time, though, the Red Flash defense turned the Pioneers away. In the midst of those corner kicks in the 31st minute, Kunze made an outstanding leaping save to her right to keep Sacred Heart off the board.
The Flash nearly made it 3-0 late in the half, but
Hallie Rexer (Mountain Top, Pa./Holy Redeemer) was denied on a diving save by Schwartz in the 44th minute. That third goal came early in the second half for SFU. After a Sacred Heart foul, Morales set up for a free kick just outside the top of the 18-yard box. Her shot beat Schwartz to give the Flash a three-goal lead.
Kunze made two more outstanding saves in the second half to preserve her shutout. A free kick from Mesropyan came from about the same point at Morales' goal on the field. The Flash's wall blocked that shot, but it came directly to Kim McNally, and Kunze recovered nicely to make the save. With just over seven minutes remaining in the match, Kunze made a leaping save to deflect a shot from Marissa Christy over the crossbar. Kunze finished with 10 saves in earning her second shutout of the weekend.
The Red Flash will look to move to 5-0 in Northeast Conference play when it hosts Robert Morris next Sunday at 3 p.m. at Stokes Soccerplex.
