SELINSGROVE, Pa. – The Moravian College women's soccer squad got off on the right foot in the battle for the 2013 Landmark Conference title with a 1-0 win at Susquehanna University on Saturday afternoon in both sides' conference opener.
Junior defender Kaylan Bruzzone scored the lone goal of the match in the 20th minute, and goalkeepers Genevieve Chaleff and Jacqueline Zalis combined on their fourth team shutout of the season, with the senior Chaleff getting the victory in net after playing the first half. The 1-0 win over the Crusaders on Saturday was the club's fourth win in five games, all of which were shutouts for the Greyhounds (5-4).
In the decisive play, junior forward Kirsten Schall again made her presence known on a corner kick for the Greyhounds. The team captain bent a ball toward sophomore midfielder Melissa Pavia, who flicked the ball behind her. Bruzzone was there for the one-time shot and scored her second goal of the season. Both Schall and Pavia were credited with assists on the bang-bang play.
It was Schall's team-leading eighth assist of the season, which also leads the Landmark Conference. The helper on Saturday also moved her into a sixth-place tie in Moravian history with 16 career assists. Her eight assists in 2013 is tied for the second highest season total for the women's soccer program. She is chasing the record of 11 set by Marisa Confuorto in 2000, and Schall has 10 regular season games plus possible playoff games left on the schedule.
Moravian outshot the Crusaders 18-4 and forced the Susquehanna keeper to make eight saves to prevent a more damaging loss. Pavia and senior midfielder Taylor DiSora led the attack with two shots on goal apiece.
Zalis made the only Moravian save of the match in the 67th minute to preserve the clean sheet.
Bruzzone nearly stretched the lead to 2-0 in the 84th minute when her shot careened off the Susquehanna crossbar.
Moravian is in the midst of a five-game stint away from the HUB Quad in Bethlehem and looks ahead to a non-conference match at Haverford College on Wednesday, Oct. 2 before renewing Landmark Conference action on Saturday, Oct. 5 at The Catholic University of America.
