Huntingdon, Pa. -- During the first night game of the season, Juniata's women's soccer team defeated the Penn State Altoona Lions 1-0 on Tuesday night, Sept. 13.
In the 19th minute, assisted by Elizabeth Bentz (Wolf, Pa./Northeastern), Aubrie Christensen (Suwanee, Ga./Manheim Township) powered a shot from the far right wing into the top left corner of the net for the only goal of the game. Christensen's goal was the first for the women at Gibbel Stadium.
For the rest of the half, after Juniata's goal, the momentum remained with the Eagles as they outshot the Lions 6-0. However, Penn State Altoona's goalkeeper recorded three saves in that time, while the other shots missed wide, to hold the Eagles at one going into the half.
The second half of the game was played evenly, as the Lions shot six times and the Eagles shot five. In the last minute of the game, the Lions kept the ball down by their goal, posing a threat to Juniata's lead. With 30 seconds left on the clock, senior Taylor Garraffa (Strasburg, Pa./Lampeter-Strasburg) kicked the ball down field to eliminate the threat as the clock winded down.
In the face of the threat, goalkeeper Kerry Leonard (Cockeysville, Md./Maryvale Prep.) laid out three times within minutes to keep a zero on the board. Leonard recorded eight saves and moved to a 3-1 record this season.
Head coach Scott McKenzie noted their solid first half and his players' speed being a dangerous asset to their game. "We are playing the way we should be with a week left before conference play," he said.
He also commented on the atmosphere of the first night game at Gibbel Stadium. The women's team planned and promoted a whiteout for the fans. McKenzie, and the women, recognized, "The fans were great tonight; it was a great atmosphere tonight."
The 3-2 Eagles will face the Westminster Titans at home on Saturday, Sept. 17 at 1 p.m.
