Parker, Russo Lead Scranton Past Moravian In Landmark Conference Semifinal
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| Sydney Parker | Samantha Russo |
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| Rebecca Hextall | Sarah Gibbons |
Junior midfielder Sydney Parker (Randolph, N.J./Randolph) and
sophomore forward Samantha Russo (Yorktown Heights,
N.Y./Yorktown) helped The University of Scranton
women’s soccer team start its defense of the Landmark
Conference championship in strong fashion.
Both players had a goal and an assist as the Royals posted a 3-0
victory over Moravian in a Landmark Conference semifinal match at
Fitzpatrick Field on Wednesday night.
The Royals (12-3-3) also received a goal from sophomore forward
Rebecca Hextall (Manhattan Beach,
Calif./Marymount) as they advanced to the conference
championship for the second straight year and the third time in
five years.
After the game started with a largely uneventful 35 minutes,
Parker gave Scranton the lead in the 37th minute when her shot from
the top of the box skittered past the Moravian goalie after taking
a pass from junior midfielder Sarah
Gibbons (Monroe Township, N.J./Monroe Township). The
goal was Parker’s second of the season while Gibbons picked
up her second assist.
Hextall made it 2-0 just four minutes into the second half when
Russo fed her with a perfect pass for a breakaway, and Hextall made
it count when she powered a shot past the Greyhounds’ keeper
from 14 yards out. The goal was Hextall’s sixth of the season
and her third in the last two games. Russo’s assist was her
fourth of the season.
Russo put the game away in the 77th minute when she took a pass
from Parker on the right side a chipped a shot over the keeper for
her team-leading eighth goal of the season. For Parker, it was her
team-leading seventh assist.
The 3-0 victory mirrored Scranton’s regular season win over
Moravian as the Royals’ defense stymied the Greyhounds
(6-11-2) in both matches. They allowed just three shots on this
night, none on goal, for their eighth shutout victory over the
season.
The win could be a teller of good fortunes for the Royals.
They’ve beaten the Greyhounds twice before in the Landmark
Conference playoffs, both times leading to a championship. They
upended Moravian in last year’s semifinals and in the 2007
championship match.
The win also gave Scranton an 11-3-2 advantage in the all-time
series against Moravian.
The Royals will seek their third Landmark Conference title on
Saturday, November 5, when they host Catholic University at
Fitzpatrick Field at a time to be determined. The Cardinals
defeated Susquehanna, 3-2, in the other semifinal on Wednesday.
--ROYALS--
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