PHILADELPHIA- After two straight losses, the La Salle women’s soccer team prepared to host the Villanova Wildcats at McCarthy Stadium Thursday night. The game was scoreless until Villanova goalkeeper collided with her defender which allowed freshman Jess Shanahan to gain possession of the ball and lay it in the net to put La Salle on the board thirty minutes into the first half. This goal marked not only the first of the game, but also the first goal of Shanahan’s college career.
The Explorers would add one more goal to the board before the end of the half at the 42-minute mark. Defender Hunter Filippo passed the ball up the sidelines to midfielder Clarissa Kirsch Downs who scored her first goal of the season to put La Salle up 2-0 at the half.
The second half started and the Explorer’s offensive success in the first half did not carry over. Villanova’s Kristin Barbour scored both Wildcat goals, including the second with only 1:35 remaining, to tie the game at two apiece. The second half ended and not one, but two overtimes were needed to decide the winner of the game.
The second overtime didn’t last long. Kristin Barbour scored her third goal of the night at the 102nd minute to take the 3-2 victory over the Explorers.
Villanova outshot La Salle 20-6 throughout the course of the game (13-6 on frame shots). La Salle goalkeeper Larisa Zambelli allowed three goals and made 10 saves during the game against Nova which puts her stats at 16 GA and 39 saves for the season.
La Salle now sits with a 2-5 record and will finish their non-conference play on Sunday afternoon as they visit St. John’s in Queens, New York at 1:00.