By Joanna Venditto
The Pride women’s soccer team showed no signs of letting up over the weekend, extending its winning streak to four games on Sunday with a 2-1 victory over Fairleigh Dickinson University. The game was part of an Alumni Day doubleheader with the men’s soccer team.
The Pride applied pressure early in the game, as senior forward Elyse Bizzozzaro hit the crossbar on a shot from just outside the 18-yard box. Bizzozzaro’s close call was the first of several great scoring opportunities for the Pride.
Junior midfielder Chrissy Arnone finally cashed in on one of those opportunities at the 32-minute mark in the first half. The play began about 40 yards out, with Arnone taking her defender to the 18-yard line. With a beautiful cut back, Arnone beat two Knight defenders and planted a high shot into the back of the net. The goal was Arnone’s third of the season.
By the end of the first half, the 1-0 score was not indicative of the Pride’s play to that point. The ball rarely went into Fairleigh Dickinson’s offensive end, as the Pride out shot the Knights, 15-1, in the first 45 minutes.
At halftime, head coach JoAnne Russell told the team to “pick up the intensity and focus more on play in the finishing third of the field.” According to Russell, the Pride could have been up 5-0 by the break. The Pride’s insurance goal, scored off gorgeous footwork by freshman forward Carol Leurini, came at the 58-minute mark. Leurini received the ball in the penalty area off a pass from junior midfielder Ashley Shaban, who earned her second assist of the season. Leurini faked toward the middle of the field then cut back toward the outside, losing her defender and scoring from about 15 yards out for her fifth goal of the season.
Russell is very pleased with Leurini’s play at this point in the season, saying, “It’s always a pleasant surprise when people you recruit really do their job well. She’s been improving every game.” The remainder of the second half showed an improvement in FDU’s play, as it was out shot only 10-7. Despite the Knights’ efforts, the Pride held onto its 2-0 lead until the final 11 seconds of the match.
Similar to the Pride’s previous game, in which it gave up a goal to Quinnipiac University in the final five seconds of the game, Fairleigh Dickinson forward Ana Moniz snuck a shot by senior goalie Becky Wachsberger after a free kick was placed inside the 18-yard box.
Russell blamed the goal on the numerous substitutions being made.
“When we have the opportunity, we like to give every eligible player a chance to go out and show us what they can do. Everybody got a chance to play which caused a bit of confusion,” she said.
Other than the Knight’s late goal, Wachsberger saw little action in her area of the field, making only four saves on the day. With the win, the Pride improved its record to 6-2-1, and will look to continue its winning streak on the road at Virginia Commonwealth University on Sept. 24, and then at the University of North Carolina-Wilmington on Sept. 26.
Carol Leurini has impressed many with her play early on. (Photo courtesy Athletic Dept.)