Oct. 2, 2005

Box Score

FAIRFIELD, CT - Senior Erica Rico scored a pair of goals to lead the Sacred Heart women's soccer team to a 3-1 win over visiting Fairleigh Dickinson University Sunday afternoon in the Northeast Conference opener for both teams. The win evens the Pioneers record at 4-4 overall as they improve to 1-0 in conference play. The Knights drop to 4-6 and 0-1 in the league.

Sacred Heart out-shot FDU 12-1 in the half. Rico and the Pioneers finally broke through on their ninth shot of the day when sophomore Lisa Nowakowski fed a pass through the middle of the Fairleigh Dickinson defense to the front of the goal. A streaking Rico picked up the pass and beat the oncoming keeper to the left side for 1-0 lead in the 26th minute.

SHU struck again just before half as junior Lisa Burbige fed fellow junior Leslie Morales up the left sideline. Morales collected and slid her shot past FDU goalie Kyla Clark toward the left post and in for a 2-0 lead at the half.

The Knights regrouped during the break and came out with a purpose in the second half. FDU controlled the offensive tempo right from the get-go and fired on SHU goalie Ashley Mocarski eight times in the half. Senior Marguerite Ferrell got the Knights on the scoreboard in the 66th minute when she collected a through pass from Kristen Habenicht and placed her shot in the top right corner.

It appeared that Ferrell tied the game for the Knights just two minutes later when she ran on to a pass and collided with Mocarski then knocking a loose ball into the net, but the play was waived off. The Pioneers would answer with an insurance goal in the 78th minute.

Burbige fed Rico through the middle of the defense and she quickly deposited her shot in the left corner of the net for a 3-1 advantage to ice the win.

Mocarski made all five of her saves in the second half while FDU keeper Clark registered nine saves in the loss.

"We got ourselves into a hole," said Head Coach Peter Gaglioti. "We didn't play as hard and competitive as we should have. We fought hard during the second half to come back but we just didn't put forth the effort in the first 45. You can't give a good team two goals and expect to come out in the second half and find the equalizer so easily. There was great effort in the second half, but we need to play the same intensity and effort throughout the entire 90 minutes."

The Knights are back in action when they host Central Connecticut on Oct. 7 at 3:30 p.m.