DOYLESTOWN, Pa. – The Moravian College women's soccer team scored early and often in a 4-0 shutout at Delaware Valley College on Saturday afternoon.
The Greyhounds (4-4) received goals from three different players, and five Moravian women came away with a point in Saturday's contest. It was also the club's third shutout in its last four games.
"We looked really good controlling the ball," said head coach Brienne Smith. "Delaware Valley fought really hard and their goalkeeper is a fantastic player and had a couple really nice saves, but we made her work hard, too. We moved the ball around the pitch really well. It was one of the best possession games we had all year."
The Agggies' keeper was tested early in a match that saw Moravian take 31 shots, 27 of which were on goal.
Freshman defender Christine Miklas was in the attacking mix again on a Kirsten Schall corner kick, which found the freshman just outside the six-yard box in the 6th minute. Miklas put the Greyhounds ahead 1-0 with a strong volley to the back of the net, her third goal of the season.
Moravian stretched its lead to 2-0 in the 27th minute when sophomore defender/midfielder Taylor Blake put a 50-50 ball between the Aggies keeper and a streaking Micaela Kwochka, who beat the goalie to the ball and scored.
"We had to work to create opportunities because their goalkeeper was so good and they packed in the defense," Smith said. "We did a lot of work on the ground and we were solid across the field playing passes to our forwards' feet. We played two-touch soccer and created our chances."
Schall joined the scoring party in the 54th minute of the second half with her team-leading seventh goal of the season. The senior striker found herself on a breakaway after her teammate and co-captain, Taylor DiSora, played a perfect through ball. Schall shot low to the far post to give the Greyhounds a 3-0 lead.
Kwochka scored her second goal of the game, and third of the season, in the 88th minute off another assist from Schall.
Schall continued her dizzying statistical start to the season on Saturday. Her goal and two assists moved her to 21 total points for 2013. Her seven assists on the season matches her helper total from last season, which stands as the fourth-highest season total in school history. Her 15 career assists now rank solely in seventh place at Moravian, breaking a tie with Kate McGonigal and Stevie Ochse.
The Moravian defense made sure that no Greyhound goalkeeper had to make a save on Saturday. Senior Genevieve Chaleff improved her record to 3-4 after her first-half clean sheet. Sophomore Jacqueline Zalis helped finish the combined shutout in her second half in net.
The Greyhounds have a week off from match play in preparation of the advent of Landmark Conference play next Saturday at Susquehanna University. When the whistle blows on Saturday at 1 p.m., Smith knows that a brand new season will start.
"Everybody is out for blood in the conference," the head coach said. "The Susquehanna match is interesting, because they are not off to the start that they expected. But once conference play starts, it's a whole new ball game. Conference play is a very big deal and it can show you what kind of team you really are."
Moravian assistant coach Benjamin Wilson has a little added interest in the Susquehanna game. Wilson served as an assistant coach for the women's soccer program last season, and played on the men's team when he was a student until 2012.
