By: Laura Chapman
Assistant Sports Information Director
chapmal@juniata.edu • juniatasports.net
Photo: Jennifer Jones 

HUNTINGDON, Pa. – The Juniata College women's soccer team dropped a tough match, 1-0, to three-time defending Landmark Conference champion The University of Scranton. The Eagles outshot the Royals 11-8 and forced the Scranton goalkeeper to make four saves in the match.

"[Scranton head coach] Colleen [Murphy] has her team playing well," said head coach Scott McKenzie. "They are the three time defending conference champions and I think we played right with them. We played ahead of them in some aspects of the game and behind them on the scoreboard. We're learning how to be good and that's a process that takes results like today to help [the team] understand that they are a good team."

The Royals took an early 1-0 lead when Scranton's Erin Casey volleyed a corner kick far post for the score just eight minutes into the match. The Eagles pushed back and earned themselves a number of solid chances, but the Royals were there to break up the play. Despite entering the half down one, the Eagles midfielders were dominant in their control of the center third of the pitch.

"I think, save the first 15 minutes where we were a little star struck, we settled in well in the midfield," said McKenzie. "We talk a lot about playing the game and not playing kick ball. Trying to do justice to the game. A lot of teams take short cuts and make the game an athleticism contest and forget how to play. We always want to respect the game and I think we do that well in the midfield. It takes longer to win games like this one that way, but when you win them, they're better."

After ten minutes of second half action, Juniata won the ball in the backfield and transitioned to attack. Junior Katie Szczur (Johnstown, Pa./Richland) played a ball to senior Alicia Snyder (Jonestown, Pa./Northern Lebanon) on the wing, who then crossed the ball into senior Paula Pryor (Westbrookville, N.Y./Burke Catholic). The Scranton defense was able to keep Pryor from getting a shot, but sophomore Emily Green (Marietta, Pa./Donegal) was there and her strike was bound for the back of the net until a last second header from a Royals defender cleared it away.

"It's a hard one to lose, but the girls want to see them again," said McKenzie. "We have to earn the right to see them again which means that, Goucher, Moravian, Susquehanna, Catholic, all those games mean something more now. [Scranton] has punched their ticket once and now we need to punch our ticket to the dance. But the team, they want to see them again."

The Royals continued to look for an insurance goal launching seven of their total eight shots in the second half alone. Junior Lillian Dudek (Downington, Pa./Upattinas School) made a tremendous save when a Scranton forward beat Juniata keeper Erin Mueller (Bedford, Pa./Bedford) with a touch wide. Duedek won the footrace with the Scranton forward and cleared the ball just before the Scranton player could take a shot on the empty net. The Eagles got three shots off inside of the last 10 minutes as they pressed for the equalizer, but were unable to get a goal.

"[Scranton] is playing top 25 programs and getting good results," added McKenzie. "We are so close. You can only use that for so long and then you either have to get there or not. Our kids, they want to get there. They're more convicted than ever."

Juniata next plays at home Saturday, Oct. 5, at 1 pm when they host McDaniel College.

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