Amanda Panaro OT Goal Lifts #10 Women's Soccer to 1-0 Win Over New Haven
Panaro has scored at least one goal in each of the three games this season; Leon makes three saves for second shutout in three contests this season
RINDGE, N.H. (September 10, 2010) – The No.
10-nationally ranked Franklin Pierce University women’s
soccer team used more heroics from junior forward Amanda
Panaro (Rockland, Mass.) as she scored just 28 seconds
into overtime to lift the Ravens to a 1-0 victory over New Haven on
Friday at Sodexo Field in Rindge. The win ran Franklin
Pierce’s record to 3-0 on the season and 1-0 in the
Northeast-10 Conference. UNH dipped to 1-2 and 0-1 in league
play.
Panaro’s goal marked the third time in as many games that she has scored at least one tally. She now has five on the season to go along with two assists for 12 total points. Panaro had entered the game leading the NE-10 in points (5.0) and goals (2.0) per game. All those previous stats enabled her to be named the league’s inaugural player of the week back on Tuesday.
Panaro’s goal on this evening came off a lucky bounce for the Ravens as they struggled to generate consistent offensive pressure all night. However, as the overtime period began, the Ravens were able to loft a ball deep into the right corner. Panaro, who also serves as one of the team’s co-captains, tracked down the loose ball and fired a crossing pass in front of the net. The ball caromed off a New Haven defender and into the back of the goal to give the Ravens the win.
The goal held up a solid performance by Franklin Pierce junior
goalkeeper Jocelyn Leon (Lenox, Mass.), who made
three saves to earn the win and run her record to 3-0 on the
season. Two of Leon’s three wins have come via shutout, as
she helped guide the Ravens to a 2-0 season-opening win over Queens
(N.Y.) last Friday.
Franklin Pierce did out-shoot UNH by a 12-7 count and managed to put half of those shots on goal. However, the shots did not come in bunches as New Haven’s four midfielders and backs limited second-chance opportunities for the Ravens. Freshman Margret Thorolfsdottier (Reykjavit, Iceland) did record three shots with all three going on net. Panaro ended up with five shots.
The Chargers were able to get a couple of shots on goal early in the contest, but Leon was able to stand up strong to preserve the scoreless tie. One save Leon made came as she dove for a loose ball as a UNH forward was crashing down on her.
Franklin Pierce returns to action on Sunday when it travels to Syracuse, N.Y. to face Le Moyne at 2 p.m. The game will mark the first road test for the Ravens in 2010. Franklin Pierce returns home on Wednesday when it plays host to Saint Michael’s at 7 p.m. in Sodexo Field.
For more information on Franklin Pierce women’s soccer, please visit the team’s page at athletics.franklinpierce.edu(.) You can also visit www.youtube.com/franklinpiercesports and www.twitter.com/FPUathletics to find out more about the program.