Sept. 22, 2009

Box Score

Syracuse, N.Y. - The #10 ranked Adelphi University women's soccer team had no answer for Le Moyne College, falling 3-0 in league action this afternoon. With the loss, the Panthers drop to 6-2 overall and 5-2 in the Northeast-10, while the Dolphins improve to 5-2-2 and 2-2-2 in the conference.

Adelphi, which had allowed just three goals in its first seven games of the season, threatened to get on the scoreboard early with three shots on goal in the opening eight minutes of the contest. Caitlin Morrison had a shot turned away by freshman midfielder Jennifer Fabian just inside the right post at the 6:32 mark, Amanda Popoli followed 24 seconds later with a high shot the sophomore goalkeeper Melissa Stevens saved off the crossbar and Emily Dunne capped the dangerous opportunities for the Panthers with a shot off the left post one minute later.

Megan O'Shea put the Dolphins ahead in the 27th minute after taking a pass from Harrison at the top of the penalty box, faking a defender, spinning left, taking two dribbles and firing a shot past Adelphi goalkeeper Dorothy Connolly. Just over one minute later, Fabian had a point-blank shot from the left of the goal, but Connolly came up with a sliding save to keep it a 1-0 game. Neither team was able to create a scoring chance the remainder of the first half as the Dolphins held the halftime lead for the sixth time this season.

Right after the opening whistle of the second half, the duo of O'Shea and Christina Harrison connected again to double the lead for the Dolphins. Harrison collected the ball in the center of the field and made a diagonal pass to a streaking O'Shea, who buried her seventh goal of the season inside the far right post just 12 seconds into the stanza. Harrison capped the scoring in the contest with an unassisted goal inside the upper left corner from 25 yards out at the 64:19 mark.

Stevens finished with four saves in the contest to record her second shutout of the season. Connolly registered three saves in goal for the Panthers. Adelphi held a slim, 17-14, lead in shots in the match and posted an 11-5 advantage in corner kicks, including 6-1 in the first half.

The last time Adelphi suffered a 3-0 loss was on October 12, 2004 against Southampton College. The Panthers went on to win the NCAA DII Northeast Regional that year and advance to the NCAA Championship game, finishing second in the nation.

The Panthers are back in action this Sunday, September 27, when they host Merrimack College on Competition Field at 1:00 p.m. The game can be purchased live on AUPanthers.tv.

Release excerpts courtesy of LeMoyne Sports Information