Loretto, Pa. - Junior Alyssa McGhee (Altoona, Pa./Bishop Guilfoyle), the reigning NEC Player of the Year, stepped up when her team needed her most, scoring a goal 2 minutes and 53 seconds into the first overtime stanza to give the Saint Francis women's soccer team (3-6-2, 1-0 NEC) a thrilling 1-0 win over LIU Brooklyn (2-7-2, 0-1) in both teams' NEC conference opener.

Van Stralen's Reaction

"We had some really good chances to go ahead and didn't take advantage of them but to our team's credit we kept fighting and Alyssa scored a fantastic goal," said head coach Brenda van Stralen. "It is always important to protect your home field in conference play so I am glad we were able to gut out three points."

Turning Point

The teams traded scoring opportunities for 90 minutes until McGhee decided to take matters into her own hands. Her strike from 25 yards out found the top corner and gave SFU its first win of September.

Highlights

• Senior Sara Suler (Hermitage, Pa./Hickory) had the first good chance of the match and was the beneficiary of some nice SFU build-up play. She received a pass, turned in the box and hit a shot that was deflected by the goalkeeper off the post.
• McGhee showed what a threat she can be in the 25th minute, beating a defender down the left and shooting far post. Her shot went wide and narrowly missed sophomore Camryn Tirado (Deptford, N.J./Deptford) at the far post.
• Suler had another opportunity late in the first half, outmuscling a Blackbird defender and going in on a breakaway but she hit her shot wide of target.
• Saint Francis had another golden opportunity moments before halftime when Tirado set up freshman Heather Markiewicz (Darnestown, Md./Northwest) but she put her shot wide from six yards out.
• Freshman Leanna Choo (Germantown, Md./Northwest) was sent in on a breakaway early in the second half after a great pass from freshman Corinne Renninger (Bechtelsville, Pa./Boyertown) but shot wide.
• LIU Brooklyn grew into the match in the second half and nearly found a goal when Kimberly Butland looped a shot that went off the crossbar.
• Markiewicz set up Choo with another opportunity but her right-footed shot was met with a save.
• Redshirt junior Julia Hernan (Collegeville, Pa./The Hill School) made her biggest save of the match with five minutes remaining in regulation, diving to her left to keep out a shot that was headed for the side-netting and send the game into extra time.

Inside the Box Score

Saint Francis outshot LIU Brooklyn 17-16 for the match.
Shots on goal were 7-6 in favor of the Blackbirds.
Corner kicks were 9-3 for SFU.

Notes

• Hernan made seven saves to record a program-record 20th career shutout.
• McGhee led SFU with four shots followed by Choo and Suler with three.
• McGhee's goal broke a 565 minute goalless drought for the Red Flash.
• SFU has won its conference opener for the second consecutive season.
• The Red Flash moved to 3-1-1 at home.

Up Next

The grind continues for SFU with a match at Sacred Heart on Fri., Sept. 28 at noon.