By Maddy Lanning, Staff Writer
Coming off of two big conference wins over Juniata and Goucher, the Susquehanna women’s soccer team continued their winning streak by defeating non-conference opponent Penn State Harrisburg 4-2 on Oct. 23 on the road in Middletown, Pa.
The scoring for the River Hawks began early, as junior forward Kate Ross scored in the sixth minute of the first half to give Susquehanna the lead. This along with a goal scored by sophomore forward Anna Werner sent the River Hawks into half time with a 2-0 lead on the Nittany Lions.
After halftime, the River Hawks struck again with Werner obtaining a penalty kick. Werner connected on the kick, leaving her 3-3 on penalty kicks this season.
“These non-conference opponents are just one of many ways we keep our momentum,” Werner said.
To solidify their team’s lead, senior midfielder Jenny Charles assisted sophomore defender Marley Clendenin to extend Susquehanna’s advantage to 4-0.
The Lions were able to escape a shutout when senior midfielder Sheila Ansary and sophomore forward Rhyan Socash both scored, which brought the final score to 4-2.
During the matchup against Penn State Harrisburg, there were some standout players and stats that arose. Werner led the team in scoring and shots taken while junior goalie Madi Welliver made one stop during her time on the field.
Following their triumph over Penn State Harrisburg, the River Hawks faced Landmark Conference opponent Scranton on Oct. 26 on the road in Scranton, Pa., beating the Royals 1-0 thanks to a game winning goal in the 86th minute scored by sophomore forward Sam Chillis.
The first half of the game was hard fought by both goalies, both of which allowed no shots to pass by them. Welliver had four stops throughout the opening 45 minutes of play, keeping the Royals scoreless for the first half.
Scranton’s sophomore goalie, Amanda Steinberg, also had a strong half, making three saves to keep Susquehanna off of the board.
The Royals did, however, lead the River Hawks with a 5-4 shot advantage in the first half.
In the second half, Scranton controlled much of the action offensively, as they lead 10-2 in shots, but they were unable to find the back of the net.
In the 86th minute of the game, Chillis fired a shot passed Steinberg on a pass from senior midfielder Alee Pettit.
This goal and ultimately this victory launched the River Hawks to the top seed in the Landmark Conference. The River Hawks now have 15 points with the Catholic University of America trailing close behind at 13. Scranton and Elizabethtown are both tied for third in the conference with 12 points.
Welliver also made two huge saves which aided in Susquehanna obtaining their 10th shutout of the year.
“Scranton is always tough to beat but getting that win this time and seeing what it did for the team is stellar,” Chillis said.
In addition to Susquehanna’s top seed in the Landmark Conference, multiple members of the team also received personal recognition after a strong week of play, as Chillis and Welliver both earned Landmark Conference Athlete of the Week honors.
Looking ahead, the River Hawks, who now own a 13-3-1 overall record on the season, will next go on to face Drew University for the team’s senior day at 4 p.m. on Nov. 2 on Sassafras Field in Selinsgrove, Pa.
The game against the Rangers will mark the final regular season game for Susquehanna. Following that, the Landmark Conference playoffs will begin and the team will undoubtedly be looking to continue the success they’ve had this season.
The Landmark Conference semi-finals are scheduled to be held on Nov. 6 while the championship game is set to be held on Nov. 9.