MILLERSVILLE, Pa.- Olivia Gentile (Yardley, Pa./Pennsbury) scored a late first half goal and
Alyson Cutter (Warrington, Pa./C.B. South) added a goal of her own early in the second half to lead the No. 2 West Chester women's soccer team (16-0-0, 15-0-0) past Millersville by a final of 2-0 on Wednesday evening.
Tonight's victory also extends the West Chester shutout streak to seven matches in a row as the Golden Rams have not surrendered a goal since the September 28
th victory over Millersville on Rockwell Field.
Olivia Gentile (Yardley, Pa./Pennsbury) opened the scoring in the 42
nd minute for West Chester, taking a shot from the top of the box after corralling a loose ball to give West Chester a late first-half lead. This early lead came after a first half of play, which saw West Chester continually knock on the door, getting a number of good looks and out-cornering the Marauders by a wide 6-0 margin as the second-ranked Golden Rams carried a 1-0 lead into the halftime break.
Millersville did manage to apply some pressure in the first half, including the first good scoring chance of the match in the 23
rd minute, which was managed by
Hayley McGee (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley) as one of her two first half saves.
Just out of the halftime break, Gentile nearly doubled the lead with what would have been her second of the night but Millersville keeper Bella Fiorenza was equal to the task and kept the score locked at 1-0.
West Chester did double its lead a few minutes later when
Alyson Cutter (Warrington, Pa./C.B. South) found the back of the net on a shot into the upper right corner of the goal, giving the Golden Rams a 2-0 advantage in the 52
nd minute.
With a 2-0 lead once again, West Chester continued to pressure the Marauder defense, outshooting Millersville 2-1 over the next 20 minutes.
As the match approached its 80
th minute, Millersville increased its pressure on the West Chester defense generating multiple throw-in and corner kick opportunities and eventually taking a shot on goal but McGee made the save, her third of the night to keep the Marauders off the scoreboard. In the waning moments, Millersville applied still heavier pressure to the Golden Ram defense in a late push to avoid a shutout but the West Chester defense was up to the task as the Golden Rams recorded their seventh shutout of the month with a 2-0 victory over Millersville.
West Chester and Millersville ended the game tied in most major categories with both sides taking 10 shots each, including six shots on goal while the Golden Rams finished the contest with a 7-4 edge in corners. McGee made six saves in goal for the Golden Rams, while recording her 20
th career shutout and 11
th of the year to move into fifth all-time in shutouts and 2
nd all-time in single season shutouts.
Up Next:
West Chester will be back in action on Saturday afternoon vs East Stroudsburg in its Regular Season Finale beginning at 12 p.m. Fans are encouraged to arrive early as Saturday will not only be Senior Day for the Golden Rams but also a busy day across South Campus with West Chester football also beginning at 12 p.m. across the street inside Farrell Stadium, making parking at a premium on Saturday afternoon.
