By: Laura Chapman
Assistant Sports Information Director
chapmal@juniata.edu • juniatasports.net
HUNTINGDON, Pa. - The Juniata College women's soccer team has scored 20 goals through its first four matches. Six of those goals came this afternoon, in the weekend showdown with Hood College. The Eagles came away with a 6-1 win to move to 4-0 on the year. Five different Juniata players scored during the match including two goals from junior Shayna King (Easton, Pa./Easton Area).
"The season is a marathon and we are on just the first section," said head coach Scott McKenzie. "The key is going to be, can we still be lethal in October? The concern is, if there is a finite number of goals to be scored let's not score them all early. I think our commitment to fitness is going to create a longer lasting lethality. We don't need to worry about emptying our tank now."
Along with King, sophomore Michaela Lacek (New Tripoli, Pa./Northwestern), junior Lauren Liacouras (Collegeville, Pa./Perkiomen Valley), and seniors Paula Pryor (Westbrookville, N.Y./Burke Catholic) and Alicia Snyder (Joestown, Pa./Northern Lebanon) all found the back of the net for scores.
The Eagles have been following a pattern - score early and often. Today was no exception. Lacek scored just 11 minutes into the match on a one-touch shot to the far post off a cross from sophomore Emily Green (Marietta Pa./Donegal). Less than eight minutes later, the Eagles struck again when King notched her first goal of the day, volleying the ball one-touch to the far post. Juniata continued to grind out the match using its speed and endurance to outlast the Blazers.
"I think this weekend has absolutely committed the team to buying into our vision of being fit during the year," said McKenzie. "If they were wondering if it was valuable, I think right now, we've got 24 kids that believe it is valuable and that is going to help us."
The second half showcased the fitness of the Eagles as they continued to pound the Hood back line and were able to convert twice more before the Blazers had any response. King netted her second tally off an assist from senior Rose Lucidi (Bayville, N.Y./Locust Valley). Lucidi collected a rebound from the Juniata corner and served the ball high into the box where King headed it just over the top of the Hood keeper.
Just a minute and thirty seconds later, Green earned her second assist for the day, to go along with her two goals from the Waynesburg match less than 24 hours earlier, when she played a perfect cross into the middle of the penalty box. Liacouras was waiting for the ball, took one touch forcing the keeper to change direction, and drilled the ball into the far corner.
Staring at a 4-0 deficit, Hood responded with a goal of its own on a long-range shot from Jessie Herbert. But the goal against the Eagles only spurred the offense to new heights. In the 70th minute Pryor unleashed a shot into the back of the net off a cross from senior Jenna Rodrigue (Manchester, Conn./Manchester). Less than two minutes later Pryor assisted Snyder for the sixth Juniata goal of the match.
"As our seniors go we will go," said McKenzie. "What you see sometimes is the silent leadership of some players and the vocal leadership of others. When Alicia is on the field everyone else wants to play well as they can to honor how well she is playing. Rose has had a heck of a weekend. She played this well because she realizes they have the responsibility as seniors to lead this team and we really saw Rose lead. Molly and also Cara, a junior, are all leading. When you get to the top you can either, finish your journey and walk on, or you can turn around and lift up the person coming behind you. The seniors are really turning around and lifting up the younger players."
The Eagles next play Saturday, Sept. 14th at home against King's College at 1 p.m.
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