Women’s soccer team ready for conference run

By Kevin Prendergast
Collegian Reporter
September 27, 2006

The women’s soccer team knows that their record thus far does not do them justice. This was evident on Sunday, when the Explorers (3-6) took on the Lehigh Mountainhawks at McCarthy Stadium, losing a tough match, 2-1, in double overtime.

This loss snapped a promising two-game winning streak and a three-game home winning streak. Also, this match was the team’s third double overtime match already in the young season. They seem to be consistently close in every game, often playing in very tight matches separated by only one goal. However, they keep coming up short.

Throughout Sunday’s match, the Explorers led in all major categories: shots, shots on goal and corner kicks. But in the end, victory slipped through their grasp.

Senior Heather Barclay scored for the Explorers in the 80th minute, coming through for La Salle with the game’s first goal. But the Mountainhawks were able to respond with a goal of their own just five minutes later.

Then, after almost 20 more minutes of scoreless play, the game-winning goal hit the back of the net. It came off the foot of Lehigh’s Lauren Calabrese in the 103rd minute of this tough, well-played match.

Despite experiencing this heartbreaking double overtime loss on Sunday, the Explorers continue to look forward to their next match and are prepared to begin a successful Atlantic 10 conference season.

Now that they are through almost 10 games this season, the new and improved McCarthy Stadium looks to be a great asset for the Explorer soccer team. In their first five home games at McCarthy Stadium, the Explorers are 3-2, scoring seven goals in those five games.

However, away from McCarthy Stadium, they are 0-4, and have only put up one goal during those four games. Despite the fact that teams ordinarily have a tougher time getting adjusted to a new home surface, the remodeled facility seems to be much more beneficial to the team than would normally be expected.

La Salle women’s soccer opens up conference play on Friday, Sept. 29 at Rhode Island (4-6), where the Explorers look to take on a solid Rams team. It will be a challenging match for the Explorers, who go to play a Rhode Island team that is undefeated at home thus far.

They remain optimistic, though, looking to make a strong run in the conference. They are particularly focused on this weekend, which is the opening weekend of their A-10 conference season. With their first two conference games on the road this Friday and Sunday (at Massachusetts), it looks as though these games will be very important in starting off on the right foot.

Keep an eye out for the Explorers as they look to begin a successful conference season when they travel north to take on the Rhode Island Rams at 7 p.m. this Friday evening.

prendergastk1@lasalle.edu