LORETTO, Pa.- Saint Francis women's soccer played playoff spoiler for the second matchday in a row with a 2-0 win over LIU at home on Senior Day. 

"This was a great day and a great way to send off this amazing senior class. It was a complete 90 minute performance from the team." Saint Francis head coach Brian Diaz said. "With 7 seniors in the starting line up, they led the way to set the tone for the match. This group has displayed their leadership all season and today's match was no different."

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

>> Mercedez Paino and Raine Korpics scored the Red Flash goals 

>> Tomke Dziesiaty assisted on both goals and Lauren Pyle assisted on the second as well. 

>> Emma Sawich kept a clean sheet and made five saves in the match. 

TURNING POINTS OF THE GAME

Paino opened the scoring five minutes into the match by tapping in a chance created by Dziesiaty.  

Korpics doubled the lead and sealed the win with a header goal in the 52nd minute on a wonderful bit of passing from Pyle and Dziesiaty. 

"We created a lot of chances today and scored two very good team goals." Diaz said. "We were solid defensively and conceded a very limited numbers of chances.".

HOW IT HAPPENED

The Red Flash dominated from the opening kickoff, taking 14 first half shots. 

Paino put a point-blank chance home after a blocked Raine Korpics shot landed at the feet of Dziesiaty, who fed the ball to Paino. 

LIU had a chance to answer within a minute, but Sawich shut the chance down with a save. 

Paino, Dziesiaty, Pyle, Claire Scarpin and Rita Kendziora all had dangerous chances to double the lead throughout the opening half but none of them could convert. 

Saint Francis entered the break with a 1-0 lead. 

The second half saw more of the same, with the Red Flash doubling their advantage eight minutes into the period. Pyle hit a great through ball to Dziesiaty, who then struck a cross into the box for Korpics to head home the goal. 

Sawich kept the clean sheet intact with three saves throughout the middle portion of the half. 

Bella Pesce nearly scored her first career goal in the 73rd minute with a shot from outside the box that tailed just right of the net. Pesce again almost found the net in the 85th minute that was saved. 

Pyle, Paino and Daniëlle Goedhart all had chances to score in the second half, but none of them could get their shots on target. Pyle hit an impressive long shot from roughly 30 yards out that sailed just over the crossbar. 

The Red Flash would see out their 2-0 lead to the end, making it two consecutive wins for the squad. 

"This team continues to grow and improve all the way until the end." Diaz said. "They continue to show their fight every day. It was a special day."

FLASH NUGGETS

The Red Flash secured their first home win of the campaign. 

Dziesiaty hit the 10 career assist milestone with her two helpers today. 

Sawich has now saved at least 75 percent of shots on target in 13 out of 16 matches this season. It was her sixth clean sheet of the season. 

NEXT UP
The Red Flash will head up to Mercyhurst on Oct. 31 for their final match of the 2024 season. Kickoff is at 6:00 p.m.