GREENSBURG, Pa. (Oct. 2) – After trailing at halftime, the Vulcans scored three unanswered goals in the second half on Saturday afternoon to capture their first victory of the season with a 3-1 win at Seton Hill in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (West) play.
With the win, the California University of Pennsylvania women's soccer team improves to 1-7-0 this season with a 1-6-0 mark in divisional action. Meanwhile, the Griffins fall to 3-4-1 overall with a 2-4-1 record in divisional play.
In the first half, the Griffins came out firing early by tallying five shots in the opening 25 minutes of action, three of which were saved by freshman goalkeeper
Emily Ouimet (Berwick, Pa./Berwick). In the 40th minute, Seton Hill was able to get on the scoreboard when Alexis Garia took a pass from Natalie Maver at the top of the box and was able to beat the goalie in the top left corner of the net. After two corner kicks and two shots by the Griffins, the Vulcans trailed 1-0 at halftime.
Following the break, sophomore
Cora Wilkins (Zanesville, Ohio/John Glenn) was able to net her first goal of the season at the 69:04-mark on a free kick to tie the score at 1-1. Just five minutes later, junior
Lindsie Galbreath (Saxonburg, Pa./Knoch) gave the Vulcans a 2-1 lead when she took a pass from classmate
Claire Mercurio (Coraopolis, Pa./West Allegheny) and was able to flick it over the goalkeeper's head. At the 82:36-mark, Cal U was able to seal the victory when Mercurio recorded her first goal of the season by beating the goalkeeper to the corner of the net to give the Vulcans a 3-1 lead. Junior
Juliana Cruz (Williamsport, Pa./Loyalsock Township) was credited with the assist on the final goal of the game.
Ouimet finished with nine saves on 21 shots faced while playing all 90 minutes of action on Saturday.
Seton Hill finished with a 21-10 shot advantage, including a 10-6 edge in shots on goal, while the Vulcans held a 9-3 lead in corner kicks.
Cal U returns to action when it hosts Mercyhurst in divisional action on Wednesday, Oct. 6, at 5 p.m.