WEST CHESTER, Pa.-Faith Matter (Middletown, Pa./Middletown) scored a pair of goals to help lead the West Chester University women's soccer team (7-3-0, 6-3-0) to an impressive 2-0 victory over East Stroudsburg (5-3-3, 3-3-3) on Rockwell Field on Saturday afternoon.
West Chester applied steady pressure to the East Stroudsburg defense throughout the first 20 minutes and this paid dividends in the 24
th minute when Matter poked the ball free from a Warrior defender to spark a break the other way.
On the break, Matter created a 2-on-1 opportunity and did not waste this chance burying a shot past a crashing Emmy Clarkson to give West Chester a 1-0 lead.
East Stroudsburg generated perhaps its best chance of the half in the waning minutes, getting a free kick from just inside the corner flag after a Golden Ram handball but the chance was blocked and West Chester escaped the chance with its 1-0 lead intact.
West Chester ended the first half with a 7-6 lead in shots and a 2-0 lead in corners, while shots on goal were even at 2-2 after the first 45 minutes of action.
East Stroudsburg generated two excellent opportunities early in the second half but West Chester got two great defensive plays by
Kaitlin Caban (Malvern, Pa./Great Valley) and
Jacqueline Graham (Toms River, N.J./Toms River North) to neutralize the chances before they could get to
Grace Keen (Lincoln University, Pa./Avon Grove).
West Chester had a great chance of its own early in the second half to nearly stretch its lead to two as
Alyson Cutter (Warrington, Pa./C.B. South) beat the keeper with a header but it hit the far post to keep the lead at 1-0 for at least a few more minutes.
West Chester continued to pressure as the second half continued with Matter nearly extending the lead a step further off a counter attack, sparked by a long pass by
Lauren Reimold (Chester Springs, Pa./Downingtown East) but Clarkson crashed well once again to prevent the chance from Matter.
Matter scored her second of the game in the 68
th minute on a very similar play to her first goal, finding her way in behind the Warrior defense and beating a crashing Clarkson again to make it a 2-0 lead.
East Stroudsburg continued to press as the second half progressed and got a gold opportunity late with an indirect free kick inside the box but the Rebecca Kotula shot off a Natalie Schooley touch arced high over the cross bar to keep the shutout intact.
West Chester ended the game with a 14-11 lead in shots and a 5-3 advantage in shots on goal, while corners were even at 3-3.
Keen was excellent in goal once again, making three saves to pick up her third shutout in a row in the 2-0 victory. Clarkson also played well in the setback, making three excellent saves and coming of her line well throughout the afternoon to keep the Warriors in the match.
Up Next:
West Chester will look to stretch its winning streak to five in a row on Wednesday night at Shippensburg beginning at 7:30 before hosting Mansfield next Saturday at 12 p.m.
