The average score of a soccer game usually has one team winning by either one or two goals. A victory margin of three or four is considered a blowout. Winning a game by five or six goals is a rare show of sheer dominance.
But when you're looking to rebound from your first conference loss in five years, you do something far more than dominate your opponent. You run them off the field.
The women's soccer team returned to form Saturday when they traveled to Jersey City and destroyed the New Jersey City University (NJCU) Gothic Knights 10-0.
The Lions controlled every facet of the game Saturday and were able to bounce back from last week's stunning conference loss to Montclair State University. The Lions looked like they had something to prove and sent a strong message to the rest of the league.
Goals came easily for the Lions and contributions to the stat sheet came from many different players. Senior Midfielder Allie Schilling led the pack with a hat trick, scoring the first, second and sixth goals of the game. The three goals were her first of the season. Senior midfielder Erin Cunliffe also contributed two goals of her own and now has six on the year. Senior defender Laura Delaney added two goals to the total off free kicks from outside the box. The Lions also received single goals from junior midfielder Momoko Aoe, sophomore forward Casey Caruso and senior forward Jamie Kunkel.
The Lions goalkeepers combined for just three saves behind an absolutely dominant defense. Meanwhile, the NJCU goalkeepers had their hands full - literally - stopping 16 of the Lions' 37 shots on goal.
The dominant 10-goal victory over NJCU completed a great week for the Lions, as they bested the Rutgers-Camden Scarlet Raptors 3-0 on Wednesday. Lions senior Coleen Weber scored the first goal on an assist from freshman Annie McCarthy, who added her first goal of her collegiate career with nine minutes remaining in the first half. Weber's goal was her fourth of the season. Cunliffe, one of the catalysts in Saturday's thrashing of the Gothic Knights, tallied the third and final goal.
Junior goalkeeper Jessica Clarke only needed to make one save behind a resurgent Lions' defense. Clarke posted her second shutout of the season.
The Lions will host the Ducks of Stevens Institute of Technology tonight at 7:30 p.m.
