BETHLEHEM, Pa. --- Senior forward Kirsten Schall netted a pair of first half goals but it wasn't enough for the Moravian College women's soccer team as the Hounds dropped a 4-2 decision to Landmark Conference newcomer Elizabethtown College on the HUB Quad Tuesday.
Schall didn't need long to get onto the scoreboard, taking a pass from junior midfielder Catherine Lamplugh and putting the first shot of the match into the lower left corner of the next just 58 seconds into action for her 14th goal of the season.
The Blue Jays would also score on their first shot of the game to tie the contest in the third minute, just 1:27 after Moravian had taken the lead. Elizabethtown would keep the pressure on, forcing Greyhounds' junior goalie Jacqueline Zalis to make three of her five saves over the next 18 minutes. The Hounds also had a shot on goal from Brittany Nicoline in the ninth minute.
Elizabethtown took its first lead of the match in the 23rd minute with a follow-up header just inside the right post after a shot had hit the crossbar. The Blue Jays nearly made the lead 3-1 just over two minutes later with a shot off of the post before Zalis made her other two saves.
Schall tied the match in the 40th minute with her 34th career goal to move into third place in the Moravian record books. She took a pass from junior midfielder Melissa Pavia and drilled it off the inside of the post with a one-time shot. Schall has 15 goals on the season, one shy of tying the single season record, and she had 31 points this fall, which is tied for sixth in school history. Schall is also fourth in the Greyhounds' record book with 86 career points, one shy of third place.
"We had moments in the first half when they weren't at their best, and we didn't capitalize on that," commented Head Coach Jeff Ykoruk. "We had some opportunities to get the ball in the back of the net but we just couldn't take advantage. We could have put some separation into it in the first half if we were emotionally ready for it, but we were coming off of an emotional Homecoming game last Saturday and we weren't playing at the highest level."
After the intermission, it took Elizabethtown just 3:33 to retake the lead, and the Blue Jays would extend the lead to 4-2 in the 54th minute. The Greyhounds' best chance to score after that was on a pair of headers from sophomore defender Christine Miklas that were wide of the goal.
"I think the second half was more about us not being able to defend and get balls out," stated Ykoruk.
Freshman keeper Jessica Lawton played the second half of the match for the Hounds, making two saves.
"It sparked the group a little bit when we changed goalies," Ykoruk said. "Jessica is finally getting back to healthy from an injury and has proven in training that she is ready for action. It helps us too because she takes her own goal kicks so we can get more numbers up the field."
Moravian will continue its three-match home stand on Saturday, October 21 in the squad's final home contest of the 2014 season when the Greyhounds welcome the University of Scranton to the HUB Quad for a 1:00 p.m. Landmark Conference match.
