BETHLEHEM, Pa. --- Senior midfielder/forward Kirsten Schall and sophomore midfielder/forward Valentina Margiottiello each had a goal and an assist and junior goalie Jacqueline Zalis added four saves as the Moravian College women's soccer team shut out Marywood University, 3-0, in non-conference action on the HUB Quad Friday as first-year Head Coach Jeff Ykoruk won his first match leading the Greyhounds.
The Hounds jumped right into action at the beginning of the match, taking a pair of shots in the first 5:11 that were just wide of the goal on the left side. In the 11th minute, Moravian received its first corner kick of the fall. Schall, who has taken most of the Greyhounds' corner kicks over the last two seasons, would strike the ball from the left corner and hooked it perfectly over the Pacers' keeper and into the upper right 90 for the first goal of the season.
"I wasn't looking to score actually," Schall explained. "I was looking to play the ball at the six, but I got lucky and it went in."
"You have to have a player that is able to curve the ball and shape the ball the way Kirsten does to score on a corner kick," stated Ykoruk. "It is tough to score at this level so anytime you can get someone to put a ball in especially off of a corner kick against a keeper of her caliber that early in the game, we'll take it."
Moravian kept the pressure on with six shots, four on goal, and five corner kicks in the next 22 minutes. In the 35th minute, Margiottiello was bringing the ball down the right side of the field and looked to take a long shot from outside the 18-yard box. As the Marywood keeper moved to make the save, junior midfielder/defender Taylor Blake slashed in front of her to get a piece of the ball and put it into the back of the net and give the Hounds a 2-0 lead.
When the second half started, the Greyhounds put a flurry of shots on goal in the first 15 minutes of the half but they were unable to extend the lead at that point. With just over nine minutes remaining on the clock in the match, Schall would get a ball on the left side of the 18-yard box and slide it across to Margiottiello, who was wide open and buried the 10-yard shot in the back of the net for her first goal of the season.
"We're playing more organized this season and we're looking for the patterns," stated Schall. "We're looking to play to feet and look to connect from one side of the field to the other and then move forward rather than passing a little bit and then passing it up forwards."
Schall became the ninth player in school history to reach 20 career goals with her tally in the first half, and she moved into sole possession of fourth place in assists with her 18th helper on the final goal. She is now seventh in program history with 58 career points.
"I want to win a conference championship, that's first," commented Schall. "For myself, just do better than last year. Get more goals and maybe break a record. I want to improve every year and with it being my last year, I want to go out with a bang."
Moravian ended up with a 22-6 advantage in shots and a 9-2 edge in corner kicks. Zalis picked up her first career shutout in the victory.
"I was impressed with how defensively organized we were," Ykoruk said. "Including our scrimmages, that is the third straight game we haven't allowed a goal. That makes me excited. I keep telling the girls that if we shut teams out, we're going to find ways to win games. The attacking side of the ball is coming together. We're getting a lot of shots but we need a little more work on composure in the final third. The other positive was getting 22 players in the game to keep players fresh not only for tomorrow but for the remainder of the season as well.
"I thought overall our two center backs sophomore Christine Miklas and freshman Lauren Bertucci were excellent, and I thought we got great contribution from junior Catherine Lamplugh as a holding midfielder along with Blake. The whole entire group had a level to them that was really high. Christine and Lauren are two really strong center backs and it allows us to do so much defensively. I thought we got good wide play from junior Brittany Nicoline early in the game wearing the defender out and then Val comes in as a reserve and does the same thing. Our pace on the flank really got to them and get us off on the right foot," concluded Ykoruk.
The Greyhounds will get right back to action on Saturday, August 30 when Moravian welcomes Wilkes University to the HUB Quad for a non-conference match starting at 3:30 p.m.
