By: Laura Chapman
Assistant Sports Information Director
chapmal@juniata.edu • juniatasports.net
Photo: Jennifer Jones
WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – The Juniata College women's soccer team only needed five minutes and 14 second of play to get on the board in its 4-1 win over Lycoming College this afternoon. The Eagles powered past the Warriors, rattling off 11 shots and earning five corners, to remain unbeaten on the year at 7-0. Lycoming falls to 1-6 on the season.
"In past years it has not been uncommon for our team to operate under the assumption that the next shoe will drop," said head coach Scott McKenzie. "This team has decided not to carry that mantel. This team has more confidence in itself. This team has more confidence in each other. I think this team believes that the difficult decisions that everybody made, and the difficult choices they made to work hard, were really for something."
Senior Alicia Snyder (Jonestown, Pa./Northern Lebanon) netted her second goal of the season when she buried a rebound into the back of the net for the early 1-0 Juniata lead. Less than four minutes later the Eagles added to their lead when junior Katie Szczur (Johnstown, Pa./Richland) recorded the first goal of her career, bending a corner kick in for the unassisted score.
In the 31st minute junior Shayna King (Easton, Pa./Easton Area) played a ball to lead senior Paula Pryor (Westbrookville, N.Y./Burke Catholic) on a breakaway. Pryor's shot deflected off the left post and rebounded in for the goal.
"Paula got back on the scoring sheet today," said McKenzie. "Our offense is predicated on a number of threats. Paula is the threat level that can introduce speed to the equation. Michaela Lacek and Emily Green are a little more power and finesse. Alicia and Rose Lucidi bring a little bit more width. Some teams can handle one of our threats. A few can handle two, but probably no one can handle all three. Lycoming today had a hard time figuring out the first one."
Juniata held the 3-0 lead until the 70th minutes when the Eagles tacked on yet another goal. Pryor struck again, this time her shot ricocheting off the top cross bar and into the net to go up 4-0. Lycoming was determined not to be shut out and put heavy numbers up front. The gamble paid off in the 84th minute when the Warriors scored of a rebound, but the Eagles commanding lead could not be erased.
Juniata will put its perfect record on the line this Wednesday, Sept. 25th, at 7 p.m. when the Eagles face off against No. 16 Carnegie Mellon in Pittsburgh.
"We'll get a great test at Carnegie Mellon," said McKenzie. "They're going to bigger and faster and stronger. [The team] doesn't seem scared by that. They know they are going to be challenged. They are looking forward to the challenge. They want to see where they are and that's good. That's a team that's not based on a house of cards. That's the kind of team that has some foundation and that's encouraging."
Juniata next returns home Saturday, Sept. 28th, at 1 p.m. to host the defending Landmark Conference champion, University of Scranton, in its opening game of league play.
Follow Your Eagles! Stay up-to-date on your Juniata College Eagles by following us on twitter (@JuniataEagles) and on Facebook (Juniata Eagles).
