Box Score WASHINGTON- The No. 1 Catholic University of America women's soccer team claimed their second Landmark Conference championship title in six years on Saturday, defeating the No. 3 University of Scranton Royals 1-0 on the CUA soccer field.
The teams were forced to adjust to cold gusts of wind throughout the first 20 minutes of play, battling hard for the midfield dominance and scoring opportunities.
Catholic struck in the 21st minute, taking the 1-0 lead. Freshman Nia Gomez pulled the Royals defense and goalie and made way for sophomore Alexis Garcia to score.
"The goal was a nifty bit of skill from Nia, who saw an opening on net and took the early shot," said JP Sousa, the CUA women's head soccer coach. "Alexis did the right thing, by continuing her run, and finishing the play."
Scranton saw an opportunity to tie the game three minutes later, as a foul inside the box set the Royals up for a penalty kick. Cardinal's junior goalkeeper Lexi Halperin placed her feet and awaited the kick from Hannah DeMars. The shot veered to the left of the goal, allowing the Cardinals to keep their 1-0 lead at the half.
Catholic continued to dominate offensively in the second half, getting off seven shots to Scranton's six. Leading the CUA offense was junior Kirsten Wosleger, who managed four shots with three on target. Sophomore Lindsay Aleman and freshman Andrea Jablonskyj followed Wosleger's lead, each tallying two shots with two shots on goal. Through the end of regulation, the Cardinals totaled 16 shots on the match.
Catholic's defense stood firm for yet another Cardinal win, recording their second shutout in conference play. Halperin made seven saves as she registered another complete game in the net, making quick releases to get the ball up field. Halperin's defenders not only kept a solid back line, but also managed to make plays for the offense. Junior Ava Brown took the Cardinal's six corner kicks, and senior sweeper Tricia Colucci recorded one-shot attempt.
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Alexis Garcia was named MVP of the tournament, having dominated offensive play against Catholic's matchups in their 2014 playoff run. Garcia scored two goals in the conference semifinal match against Drew, while also recording one assist. She scored the lone goal of the championship game against Scranton, and in total recorded five shots with four on goal in Landmark playoffs.
"Alexis has really elevated her game over the past three weeks. Her work in our two playoff games was tremendous. The two goals against Drew in the semifinal put the game out of reach that day, and the goal today was the difference. She is a very deserving MVP," Sousa said.
The Cardinals hope to keep their spirits high and their focus centered as they head into postseason play.
"Winning the championship today feels great," Sousa said. "This was the culmination of a full years worth of work, starting back in January at our first team meeting of 2014. The girls said then that they wanted to win, and they did everything they had to do to make that happen. I'm very proud of everyone."
The Cardinals wait to hear who they will face in the upcoming NCAA tournament, the results of which are to be announced Sunday, November 9.
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