Women's Soccer Tops Bryant on Friday, 4-1

The Central Connecticut women's soccer team improved to 8-5-3 overall and 3-2-1 in Northeast Conference play with a 4-1 victory over Bryant at home on Friday night.  The win is the fourth in the last five games for the Blue Devils.  Bryant falls to 3-13-1 overall and 1-4-1 in league play.

The Blue Devils wasted little time getting on the board in the first half.  With 26:13 left in the half sophomore Kelly Halligan scored her third goal of the season on a free kick just outside the box.   Bryant committed a foul prior to the kick, helping Halligan score her third goal of the season and giving the Blue Devils a 1-0 lead.  She beat the Bryant keeper to the lower left corner.

Halligan struck again less than four minutes later on an almost identical play.  Following a Bryant foul, Halligan took the free kick just yards away from her first attempt.  This time she beat the Bryant keeper to the top right corner for the 2-0 edge.  The goal was her fourth of the season.

Sophomore Alysa Christo made it 3-0 in favor of the Blue Devils with under a minute to play in the first half.  Christo took a pass from classmate Morgan Santoro and had a free run towards Bryant goalkeeper Kaylan Conrad.  She beat Conrad to the bottom right corner of the goal for her fourth goal of the season.

Bryant scored late in the second half after a hand ball call in the box.  Emily Barbato scored to make it 3-1.  Central answered with one second left in the match as Kacie O'Neill scored her second goal of the season with an assist from senior Tori Sousa. 

Sophomore goalkeeper Niki Turley recorded four saves in net for the Blue Devils to post her seventh victory. 

The Blue Devils return to action on Sunday on the road at LIU Brooklyn at 12 p.m. in an important NEC match-up.  They will finish the regular season at home on Sunday, Nov. 2, at 12 p.m. vs. Mount St. Mary's.