Sept. 23, 2005

Box Score

TEANECK, NJ - The Fairleigh Dickinson University women's soccer team (4-5) fell, 4-2, to visiting La Salle (3-5-1) on Friday afternoon at University Stadium in Teaneck, NJ.

The Knights began the game in control of the ball, maintaining possession in front of La Salle's goal and scoring early. Senior Ana Moniz (Bridgewater, MA) rebounded a deflected shot and sent it over to freshman Natalie Bellini (Tamarac, FL), who blasted in her second goal of the season to put the Knights on the board with an early advantage in the 11th minute.

The Explorers had two goals in a five minute span to take control of the game and gain the lead. As the Knights' goalkeeper sent out a low pass to clear the goal, freshman Traci DePasquale (Forked River, NJ) took advantage and pushed it back in to the net for the equalizer in the 33rd minute. Four minutes later, DePasquale found senior Alexis Petrucci (Abington, PA), who buried the ball into the back left corner from 20 yards out to give the Explorers the 2-1 lead.

Ten minutes after the second half started, La Salle added to their lead as freshman Jen Broeze (Yardley, PA) sent a pass to sophomore Kristin Hextall (Voorhees, NJ), who found the back of the net from 18 yards out.

Moniz tried to get the Knights back in the game when she placed the ball into the La Salle goal from 20 yards out beyond the right corner of the box with 17 minutes remaining in the game.

But La Salle responded six minutes later as Hextall notched her second goal of the game, taking a feed from freshman Dana Giordano (Cinnamnison, NJ) on the right side and floating a one-touch volley over the goalkeeper's head.

In goal for La Salle, freshman Lauren Malizia (Richmond, VA) made eight saves. The Knights out-shot the Explorers, 16-10.

"We need more consistent energy," said Head Coach Peter Gaglioti. "We dig ourselves a hole and have to battle to get back into the game. Although we've shown we can do it, we need to jump out on a team from the start because expending energy to catch up is tiring for a team."

"When they play to their potential, this is an amazing team. It is a technically sound group of players that are very dangerous. We have to make sure we don't give away soft goals and we put away our chances. Right now we need to use this break for a competitive, demanding schedule to get mentally and physically ready because it's all about the nine games that begin on Oct 2. Over the past few years we've had ups and downs in the out-of-conference schedule and used it to really come to play for NEC matches."

The Knights have break before they begin their conference schedule at Sacred Heart on October 2.