Box Score
WEST CHESTER, Pa. – Tara Malkiewicz and Dana Hunt each scored in the second half, and the Golden Rams defense came up big once again, as fourth-ranked West Chester University shutout 14th-ranked Tampa in a non-conference women’s soccer match on an overcast and comfortable Saturday morning at South Campus Field.
West Chester (2-0) tallied twice in the second half to break a scoreless tie at halftime. It was another second-half effort that delivered a convincing win over another nationally-ranked opponent.
“This win gives us a lot of confidence,” Malkiewicz explained afterward. “We played a pretty good team in Chestnut Hill (Thursday). But, this game gave us a chance to raise our level of play, and I think we did that.”
Malkiewicz hammered home a loose ball at the top of the penalty area in the 56th minute to give the hosts a 1-0 lead. Dana Hunt doubled that lead in the 62nd minute with her second goal in as many games when Maddie Mitchell played a ball up to Hunt on a quick restart, following a whistle against Tampa near midfield. Hunt tapped the ball past the Spartan’s final defender about 30 yards out and walked in on Tampa’s goalkeeper, Emeile Karstrom, all alone.
“I don’t think we played very well in the first half,” WCU head coach Betty Ann Kempf Townsley said. “The game was slower because we were playing on grass. We had been playing on turf all week. But, we made some adjustments, and we became much more aggressive attacking in the second half.
“I think we learned that we are young, and we are going to make mistakes. But, that is OK. We have a lot of potential on this team.”
Golden Rams’ freshman goalkeeper Shannon Fedyk registered four saves in posting her second consecutive shutout in goal. Karstrom was credited with a pair of saves for the Spartans.
