SELINSGROVE, Pa. — The Catholic University women's soccer team earned a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Susquehanna to claim its first Landmark Conference win of the season on Tuesday night.

Catholic began the contest on the front foot as Peyton Coron forced a save out of Susquehanna's Kayleigh Saboja in just the third minute. Isabel Doherty also tested the goalkeeper five minutes later but both efforts were handled comfortably by Saboja.

The Cardinal moment of magic came in the 19th minute. After Coron earned a Catholic free kick just outside the penalty area, the sophomore stepped up to dead ball herself. 

From a central position roughly 19 yards from Saboja's goal, Coron unleashed a thunderbolt that nestled inside the goalkeeper's left-hand post. The sophomore utilized Susquehanna's six-player wall to screen Saboja and her strike was so pure that it could not be stopped, powering Catholic into the lead.

Neither team mustered another shot on target and the Cardinals were content to take the 1-0 to the halftime locker room.

Susquehanna tested Ava Rieger 12 minutes into the second stanza when Maggie Morrison unleashed a strike from distance. Reiger was able to push the knuckling effort to safety and behind for a corner kick that Catholic defended successfully.

Catholic went close again in the 75th minute following good wing play from AJ Hudock. The junior found Sara Placide who's low cross came into Coron. The sophomore, eager to net her second of the game, got significant power behind a strike but Saboja got behind it to keep it out at her near post. 

Casey Sommers' side defended well and were able to see out the result without conceding any real clear-cut opportunities. 

Coron's goal marks her team-leading fifth of the season as the center back pairing of Sam Cesario and Teighan Boyle both played the full match en route to a clean sheet. Catholic has now kept six clean sheets in 11 matches this season.

The victory ends a Cardinal winless run at three matches and pushes Catholic to 1-1-1 in conference play. The win marks the first over Susquehanna since October of 2019 and is Catholic's first triumph in Selinsgrove in nearly a decade (October 2014).

The Cardinals will now return to the District for a three-game home stand. Catholic will welcome Drew to Carlini Field on Saturday afternoon for a Landmark Conference battle. Kickoff in women's soccer's Morgan Message game is slated for 3:30 p.m.