The women’s soccer team remains undefeated as their season really gets underway this week. The Lions have been exhibiting their top-notch play in every game so far. With the competition really heating up, this week and those coming should be no different.
This past week, the Lions played in the Stevenson Tournament and came out with two wins over their competitors. Stevenson University was their first victim on Saturday. They put up a good fight in a low scoring game but ultimately fell to the Lions.
Sophomore midfielder Taylor Lusardi scored the game-winner only nine minutes into the game, finalizing the score at 1-0 in a Lions victory.
Defense then came in handy for the Lions as they were able to hold off any further attacks from the Mustangs, which they seemed to be able to do with ease.
The offensive side also seemed to be ready for action, with senior forward Katie Lindacher leading the team with five shots on goal. There were a total of 11 shots on goal throughout the game.
The team plays with a cohesiveness that must be hard to come by. The players mesh extremely well together and seem to be playing each game to the best of their abilities.
Senior goalkeeper Kendra Griffith completed her third save of the season.
The next day, the Lions overtook St. Mary’s College of Maryland easily. As soon as they took the field, the Lions got right to the point. Lindacher scored 26 seconds into the first half. St. Mary’s soon scored as well and tied the score, but this was not to last long.
With 14 seconds left in the first half, freshman midfield Lauren Malajian netted her first goal of her collegiate career. Senior midfielder Sloan DePiero then boosted the score to 3-1 on a free kick from junior defender Jordan Downs, as Griffith collected her fourth win of the young season with the victory.
Downs has been playing at the top level this season and she’s been noticed — the New Jersey Athletic Conference named her Defensive Player of the Week after the first week of games — and Downs continues to impress all who come to watch the games. Her defense is some of the best on the team and has been integral in the Lions’ victories for years.
“We ended the season last year on a bad note,” Downs said. “We wanted to get right back at it again. The new players have been great coming in and our team has clicked together very well. They are also very capable of helping our team out on the field when they are really needed.”
All of the upperclassmen seem to be saying the same thing about this year’s freshmen teammates: They’re here to really be a part of the Lions family and make an impact in all of the games, and this season looks to be one for the record books.
This week, the Lions play Farmingdale State College on Saturday, Sept. 14 at 2 p.m.
