September 18, 2009

HUDSON, RAMS POST THIRD STRAIGHT SHUTOUT WITH 2-0 WIN AT LEHIGH
Box Score

BETHLEHEM, Pa. – It was discovered earlier this season that for each shutout the Virginia Commonwealth University women’s soccer team post, it gets a trip to Krispy Kreme. “Donut for donuts” is the theme.

Well Krispy Kreme’s stock must be on the rise after the Black & Gold posted a third straight shutout with a 2-0 road victory over the Mountain Hawks of Lehigh University on Friday afternoon.

“It’s great to be able to post another shutout, but this wasn’t our best 90 minutes of soccer,” Co-Head Tiffany Roberts Sahaydak said. “That’s the positive thing about today, we didn’t play our best and we were still able to come up with the victory.”

Defense was the theme for the first half as neither team was able to get much going offensively until the 28th minute when sophomore Molly Allen (Halifax, Nova Scotia) fired a shot from the top of the box, forcing Lehigh goalkeeper Lauren Mains.

Just four minutes later, the Black & Gold would catch a break when Jana Basubas tried to clear the ball back Mains and the pass went high into the net for an own goal and a 1-0 VCU advantage.

The second half started much like the first half did with not many scoring chances until the 72nd minute when Lehigh started to apply some offensive pressure.

Two shots by the Mountain Hawks hit the posts and two more senior Kate Hudson (Clarksville, Md.) came up with big saves as the Rams fended off Lehigh off to preserve the 1-0 lead.

VCU would not go quietly as it responded with a counterattack in the 79th minute, which resulted in a beautiful corner from sophomore Meaghan Dullea (Virginia Beach, Va.) that led to a header from senior June Hartman (Virginia Beach, Va.) that bounced just off the crossbar.

Sophomore Azania (Taboao Da Serra, Brazil) got the Rams started on an offensive attack with great midfield play and a pass up the left sideline to senior Jasmine Riley (Arlington, Va.). Riley made a great move through the Lehigh defense and made fed a pass through the box, where freshman Ashley Grant (Nokesville, Va.) made a touch pass to a cutting Heather Hovanesian (Centreville, Va.), who blasted a shot into the back of the net to give VCU a 2-0 lead with just over five minutes left in regulation.

“It really was a beautiful goal throughout,” Roberts Sahaydak said. “In a game where we struggled to really get going, it was good to see our girls really work hard and get that goal to put the game away.”

Allen and senior Myriam Bouchard (Quebec City, Quebec) would lock down the Black & Gold back line to preserve the shutout and extend VCU’s scoreless streak to 298:28.

Hudson picked up her third shutout in goal with four saves, all of which came in the second half.