Finally, after an eight-game winless streak to being its fall 2010 campaign, the Stony Brook women’s soccer team managed a victory, defeating the visiting Manhattan Jaspers, 4-1, on Sunday at LaValle Stadium.
“Winning cures a lot of ills,” Seawolves head coach Sue Ryan said. “We’ve taken our lumps a little bit. But I really feel confident coming into the conference season that we’re in a good place right now.”
Stony Brook benefited from goals by sophomore Taryn Schoenbeck, junior Dominique Adamo, junior Holly Razzaghi and sophomore Sa’sha Kershaw.
Prior to Sunday’s game, the Seawolves had only scored four goals total over eight games, seven of which they had lost. The run included a 2-2 tie against Sacred Heart and six games in which the team had been held scoreless.
Against Manhattan, Stony Brook put its scoring problems behind itself early, as Schoenbeck (Newark, Del.) scored in the fourth minute of play. The midfielder-turned-striker got the ball and sprinted straight past the final defender, finishing coolly into the side netting.
The Seawolves piled it on in the first half thanks to some poor goalkeeping from the Jaspers Alyssa Bachowski. With 24 minutes to go, Adamo (Ramsey, N.J.) lined up for a free kick from about 35 yards out. Her crossing ball bounced once in front of the goal and skipped right through the screen Bachowski’s legs, gifting Stony Brook a two-goal advantage.
Then with five minutes to go in the period, Razzaghi (Bloomsburg, Pa.)took the ball into the box, running past two defenders and lifting a high shot that went over the head of the Jaspers goalkeeper.
The Seawolves officially doubled their season goal total five minutes into the second half, when Kershaw (Baltimore, Md.) came streaking in from the left, received a cutting throughball from Razzaghi and slotted the Manhattan backstop.
The Jaspers were able to pull one back in the 61st minute when a long free kick came into the Stony Brook penalty area. Manhattan’s Megan Lavecchia outjumped Seawolves goalkeeper Chelsea Morales (Temecula, Calif.) and headed the ball into the net, bringing the score to 4-1.
The freshman Morales finished with one save. She was relieved with 24 minutes to go by junior Morgan Johanson (Pittsford, N.Y.), who made zero saves on zero shots.
Stony Brook has completed the non-conference season, now moving into America East play beginning with Hartford on Sept. 26.
“The slate is wiped clean and the season kinda starts next Sunday,” Coach Ryan said.
That game will be played at LaValle Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 2 p.m.
