After its performance in last year’s season opener resulted in a 9-0 loss, things couldn’t have gone any better for the AU women’s soccer team this time around.
Led by one goal apiece from Carleigh Morba and Shaena Alfonsi, the Eagles defeated the University of Maryland-Baltimore County Retrievers 2-1 Aug. 19 in the season opener for both teams.
“We’re excited to get this win,” head coach Dave Bucciero told AU Athletics. “I thought we had a lot of opportunities to get more besides the two that we scored, but I’m happy with how we played. A lot of our players played really well today.”
Morba, a junior who played in 12 matches last season, struck first for AU 33 minutes into the contest. A Lindsay Muri pass connected with Katarina Kingston, who was then able to corral the ball and send a cross to Morba that the forward knocked home for a 1-0 lead.
Neither side attempted a shot for the remainder of the first half following Morba’s goal, and the Eagles took a 1-0 lead into halftime. But that one-goal lead didn’t tell the whole story following the first 45 minutes.
The Eagles controlled the first half, outshooting the Retrievers 12-0 and earning three corner kicks to UMBC’s zero. One of those 12 AU shots was from Morba, who hit the post 10 minutes prior to putting AU on the board.
AU continued to push in the second half, and it picked up its second goal of the day courtesy of a Shaena Alfonsi header in the 79th minute. Alfonsi, who made five starts in the team’s final six games as a freshman in 2010, received a cross from Jasmine Mohandesi and converted the header to push the Eagles to a 2-0 advantage.
The Retrievers would respond less than three minutes later to get themselves back in the game. Rachel McKee collected a pass from Amy Savage and her shot from 20 yards out sliced the AU lead in half. UMBC would register two shots over the game’s final nine minutes, but couldn’t notch the equalizer. A McKee shot was saved by AU goalkeeper Klare Lazor, while a LeAnne Edgar shot missed wide and the Eagles came away with the 2-1 victory.
The score was closer than the stats would indicate, as AU outshot the Terriers 24-4 and picked up six corners to UMBC’s one. Lauren Kadet tallied nine saves for the Terriers while Lazor, who wasn’t tested nearly as much, recorded two.
The Eagles will next be on the road to face the Georgetown Hoyas on Sunday, Aug. 21. The Hoyas, who gave AU that 9-0 season-opening loss one year ago, are ranked No. 23 in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America Preseason Poll.
AU was selected to finish sixth in the 2011 Patriot League Preseason Poll, which is compiled by votes from the conference’s head coaches and women’s soccer sports information contacts. The Army Black Knights garnered the preseason favorite honors with 10 first-place votes.
ttomea@theeagleonline.com
