A pair of first-half goals gave Stony Brook women’s soccer an early lead that the Seawolves would not relinquish.
The Seawolves won 3-0 against Fairleigh Dickinson on Sunday afternoon at Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium. This was Stony Brook’s third win in its last four games following an 0-4 start.
“I think today’s game was a good example of a total team effort,” Stony Brook soccer coach Sue Ryan said.
Stony Brook struck first in the 20th minute when freshman midfielder Annie Boros hit sophomore forward Manuela Corcho with a centering feed. Corcho scored, putting the Seawolves ahead 1-0 on her second goal of the season.
“It’s a great feeling,” senior forward Emily Murrer said of the goal. “It gets you really hyped up.”
The Seawolves added to this lead in dazzling fashion just 13 minutes later. Freshman defender Allyson Baner fired a beautiful assist, the first of her college career, from midfield to a swiftly moving Murrer. Murrer was just feet away from the goal mouth when she picked up Baner’s pass, which gave Stony Brook a 2-0 lead.
“I saw Emily on the flank and I knew she was good enough to take that shot,” Baner said. “She just had an awesome shot.”
This highlight goal was something that the team had rehearsed before in practice, according to Ryan.
“Emily has hit that shot twice in practice, but never came close in a game,” Ryan said. “Now we see it come out in a game and that’s very exciting.”
After a dazzling goal, Stony Brook kept a 2-0 lead going into halftime. When the two teams came back out for the second half, Stony Brook played very conservatively. They kept the ball away from Fairleigh Dickinson, who were mostly unable to take possession from the keep-away minded Seawolves.
“It’s a cliche but in soccer 2-0 is the most dangerous score because you think you’re far enough ahead and just one goal can but the opposing team back in,” Ryan said of Stony Brook’s halftime lead. “You can’t rest, you have to keep working hard, so that was my message to the team at the half.”
The game was all but put on ice in the 77th minute when junior forward Raven Edwards sniped her second goal of the season in from about 15 yards out to give Stony Brook a 3-0 lead. At that point, it was all but certain that the Seawolves would win for the third time in the last four games.
“We’re just connecting and switching the field a lot more we’re a lot more confident in each other energy levels,” Murrer said. “So it makes for a better atmosphere.”
Stony Brook looks to be playing well at just the right time. The team has just two non-conference games to go before opening up its America East schedule on the road against Vermont on Sept. 27.
The Seawolves will look to keep up their winning momentum when they face off against Yale at home on Sunday, Sept. 20 at 2:00 p.m..