The No. 3 ranked women's soccer team remained undefeated this week after beating Rutgers University-Camden, Rutgers University-Newark and Johns Hopkins University.
The Lions' overall record now stands at 10-0-1 and 4-0-1 in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC).
"We are very content to be undefeated right now," junior midfielder Nicole Papola said. "So far this year we have not faced too much competition, but we do have some tough games coming up. It is good to see us well-prepared for every game, regardless of the team we are playing."
On Wednesday, the Lions picked up a 2-0 NJAC win against the Scarlet Raptors of Rutgers-Camden.
During the first 45 minutes, neither team could break through and score, sending the game into halftime scoreless.
"We just had trouble connecting offensively in the first half," junior midfielder Coleen Weber said. "We dominated offensively but just could not finish inside of their defensive."
Weber was the one to break the deadlock seven minutes into the second half. She finished a loose ball after a corner kick for her fourth goal of the year.
Nine minutes later, junior forward Jamie Kunkel added on to the lead with a goal assisted by sophomore forward Briann McDonough. The feed gave McDonough seven assists on the year.
Sophomore goalkeeper Jessica Clarke recorded one save in her fourth shutout of the year.
The Lions dominated Rutgers-Newark 8-0 at home on Saturday.
Outshooting the Scarlet Raiders 31-3, the Lions provided a good example of how they have been finding the open player and controlling the pace of play this season.
"We're just trying to facilitate the offense," Weber said. "Some teams try to go straight from the backfield to the forwards, skipping over the midfield. We focus on controlling the ball coming out of the back and using the midfield to create more options. It just opens up the game for both the forwards and the fullbacks."
"I think it makes us a very dangerous team," she added.
Kunkel kicked off the Lions' scoring by collecting a rebound shot from senior forward Dana DiBruno and redirecting it into the net. It was the fourth straight game that Kunkel had tallied at least one goal.
Kunkel then turned around eight minutes later and set up McDonough for her sixth goal of the season.
Two minutes later, senior midfielder Kristen Cubicciotti was next to find the back of the net for the Lions. Her first goal of the season was helped by a lead pass from Weber.
Freshman midfielder Casey Caruso tallied her second goal of the year in the 32nd minute, giving the Lions a 4-0 lead going into halftime.
In the second half, the Lions experienced a little d?j? vu when Kunkel and McDonough duplicated the first half by scoring another goal each. For Kunkel, it was her team-leading 10th goal of the season.
Sophomore midfielder Momoko Aoe helped cap the game by assisting a pair of goals. The first was to DiBruno in the 63rd minute for her sixth goal of the season. Then, Aoe found senior defender Toni-Anne Cavallo to give the Lions the 8-0 win.
Clarke played the first half in net for the Lions, adding to her continuing streak of 770 minutes of scoreless soccer. Juniors Kristina Kuda and Amy Hashem each saw time in goal for the Lions in the second half.
The Lions defeated the Johns Hopkins Blue Jays 1-0 in overtime on Monday night.
With 29 seconds left, senior defender Courtney Krol set up Cubicciotti for the winning goal.
Clarke picked up her fifth shoutout of the season.
The Lions will play a non-conference match against the Bulldogs of the University of Redlands at home on Saturday. The game is scheduled for a 1 p.m. start.
