Oct. 10, 2009

Box Score

BOSTON, Mass. - The Emmanuel Saints cruised to a 7-0 win over Pine Manor College in Great Northeast Athletic Conference Women's Soccer action played at Clemente Field on Saturday afternoon. Freshman forward Meghan Zerba (Cumberland, R.I) recorded her first collegiate hat trick to lead the host Saints in their second-straight shut-out of GNAC opponents. The victory for Emmanuel stretched the Saints' unbeaten streak vs. the Gators to 13 games. Emmanuel improved to 8-5-1 (6-2-1 GNAC) with the win, while the loss dropped Pine Manor to 2-7-1 (0-7 GNAC).

Zerba scored the opening goal for the Saints, which proved to be the game-winner. She was set up by fellow rookie Elizabeth Blasser (Pembroke, Mass.) at 23:56. A second Emmanuel goal just five minutes later gave the Saints a 2-0 edge. It was senior midfielder Kate McKenna (Holyoke, Mass.), who found the back of the net, one-timing a corner kick pass from classmate Meghan Long (Smithfield, R.I.) at 28:04. This was McKenna's 14th goal this season.

The Gators took one final blow from the Saints before the break, when senior forward Stephanie Levesque (Auburn, Mass.) came off the bench to net Emmanuel's 3rd goal of the day. Levesque got the helper from junior Amber Di Nucci (Assonet, Mass.), who tallied three assists on the afternoon. The Saints took a 3-0 advantage into halftime.

Emmanuel sophomore Melanie Hoffman (Topsham, Maine) gave the Saints another insurance goal at 51:15, scoring off of feeds from Di Nucci and McKenna. Di Nucci was the goal-scorer for Emmanuel mid-way through the second stanza, when she dribbled through the Gator defense and drilled one in unassisted at 65:29.

Zerba would complete her hat trick, notching her 2nd and 3rd goals of the contest just one minute apart from each other. The rookie put her second marker in at 75:24 off a pass from Di Nucci. Zerba's third goal came at 76:27, when she converted a corner kick from Long.

Freshman keeper Jessica D'Ottavio (Pawling, NY) played 83:15 for Emmanuel and made successful stops on all three of the Pine Manor shots on goal. Junior Chloe Fortin (Suffield, Conn.) relieved D'Ottavio for the final 6:45 in net for the Saints. Pine Manor goalie Colleen Tencza (South Meriden, Conn.) made 13 saves in the effort for the Gators, who were out-shot 26-3.

Emmanuel will play again on October 14, when the Saints host the Falcons of Fitchburg State College at 7pm on Clemente Field.