Three Unanswered Goals Propel WCU Past Wilmington In Opener

Box Score

WEST CHESTER, Pa. – West Chester University's women's soccer squad scored three unanswered goals en route to a 3-1 victory over visiting Wilmington (Del.) on a sun-scorched Thursday afternoon in the season opener for both schools.
 
Senior Cara Deola (Churchville, Pa./Council Rock South) scored a goal and assisted on another to lead the Golden Rams' attack. Classmates Carly Yost (North Wales, Pa./North Penn) and Lexi Lentz (Chambersburg, Pa./Chambersburg Area) added a goal each to complete a three-goal run after the hosts had fallen behind, 1-0.
 
Wilmington took advantage of the Golden Rams in transition after the hosts lost their shape defensively. The Wildcats' forward Loran Wyrough went in all alone on WCU goalkeeper, Alex Srolis (Chester Springs, Pa./Downingtown East), and buried the opportunity 15 minutes into the contest. It was, however, one of the few mistakes that the Rams made all afternoon.
 
Under a grueling sun and unbearable humidity, West Chester evened the score 10 minutes later when Deola chipped a shot over Wilmington keeper, Julia Brown, from the right corner of the penalty area into the far side netting of the goal. Yost put the Rams in front for good three minutes into the second half when she blasted home a rebound standing on the far post off a shot from Deola.
 
Lentz salted away the game in the 77th minute when she made the Wildcats pay dearly on a loose ball in its own end. Lentz lifted a shot from 35 yards out over the head of Brown and into the empty net, after the keeper had made a save at the top of the box. Brown's pass out to a teammate missed its mark and landed right on the foot of Lentz in the middle of the field.
 
Srolis (1-0) made two saves in the contest – one of the highlight real kind when she stopped a point blank attempt six minutes into the match. Srolis raced off her line to challenge the Wilmington forward maybe 12 feet away, who could not get the ball high enough over the sprawled out keeper lunging to her left to make the save.
 
Brown made six saves for the Wildcats in the loss.
 
West Chester opens Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference play Saturday afternoon at Kutztown in a 2 p.m. match.