BETHLEHEM, Pa. --- The Moravian College women's soccer squad will open its 2013 Landmark Conference season on the road Saturday as the Greyhounds travel to Susquehanna University for a 1:00 p.m. match with the Crusaders.
It is the first of four straight Saturdays of Landmark matches for Moravian with the first two on the road. The Greyhounds will not play a home conference match until Drew University travels to Bethlehem on October 12. Moravian is looking to return to the Landmark playoffs after reaching the conference championship match, and the Greyhounds were selected second in the Landmark Preseason Poll.
"Like always, every conference game will be a battle," stated Head Coach Brienne Smith. "It is rare to win or lose a game by more than one goal in conference. That's what makes playing in this conference so exciting."
The Greyhounds are 4-4 through the first month of the season, dropping three of their four losses by just one goal including one in double overtime. In Moravian's last three wins, the Greyhounds have outscored their opponents, 12-0.
"We are scoring a lot of goals," Smith explained. "We have only been shut out once this year and we have scored 21 goals in eight games. Finishing our chances in conference games will be huge for us. The team understands how important it is to take advantage of those rare opportunities. We have talked a lot about creating quality chances and making good decisions in the attacking third. I think if we continue to improve on this part of our game, we should have success finding the back of the net."
Junior midfielder Kirsten Schall leads Moravian in scoring and is ranked in the top 15 in the nation with 21 points on seven goals and seven assists through the first eight matches of the year. Sophomore forward Micaela Kwochka has added three goals and an assist for the Greyhounds while freshman defender Christine Miklas has found the back of the goal three times off of corner kicks by Schall.
Senior forward Caroline Clark has contributed a goal and two assists in her final season while senior midfielder Taylor DiSora, sophomore midfielder Catherine Lamplugh and sophomore defender Taylor Blake each have a goal and an assist this fall. Sophomore midfielder Melissa Pavia, freshman midfielder Valentina Margiottiello, junior defender Kaylan Bruzzone and freshman midfielder Marissa Martin each has tallied one goal.
Sophomore midfielder Brittany Nicoline and freshman defender Hannah LaFronz have combined with the rest of the defense and goalies senior Genevieve Chaleff and sophomore Jacqueline Zalis to post three shutouts this season. Chaleff has played 529 minutes this fall with 25 saves and a 2.21 goals-against average while Zalis has been in the cage for 211 minutes with six saves and a 0.43 goals-against average.
"I think I am surprised by how quickly this team has come together," Smith said. "We do have quite a few new faces but it feels like this group has been together for a long time. We looked very good at training this week. We are moving the ball really well and the girls are really pushing each other. This group understands how important this weekend is for us. We have set some lofty goals, and this weekend is the first big step to achieving those goals."
