Women's Soccer Opens NEC Play With 5-1 Win Over LIU Brooklyn

The Central Connecticut women's soccer team opened up Northeast Conference play with a 5-1 win over LIU Brooklyn on Sunday afternoon at the CCSU Soccer Field. The Blue Devils improve to 5-2-2 overall with the win and are 1-0 in NEC play.

The Blue Devils struck in the 4th minute when freshman Shelbie Carr sent a cross in from the left wing and classmate Danielle Pearse got a foot to it and beat the LIU goalkeeper to the lower left corner for a 1-0 lead.

Central extended the lead when sophomore Laura Casanovas Diaz played a ball into the 18-yard box to Pearse, who was tripped up by the goalkeeper as the last line of defense and drew a penalty kick. Senior Claire Walsh stepped up to convert the penalty and made it 2-0 in the 26th minute.

CCSU was then the beneficiary of an own goal in the 36th minute when freshman Emma Hubbard slipped behind the LIU defense and her cross was redirected into the net by a Blackbirds defender to make it 3-0.

LIU Brooklyn (3-9, 0-2 NEC) got on the scoreboard early in the second half when Lucy Gunton-Jones sent a freekick into the area and found Marian Awad, who headed it to the foot of Allegra Ondrejka and into the back of the net to make it 3-1 at the 46:16 mark.

Central nearly pushed its lead back to three goals in the 63rd minute when Pearse sent a looping shot from the left wing that hit both posts before being cleared away off the goalline.

The Blue Devils eventually did push the lead to 4-1 with just under 10 minutes to play, when sophomore Alex Zampini finished from close range off a pass across the endline from classmate Hubbard.

Senior Delaney Lancor then also got in on the action a few minutes later when she added a goal and put the game away for Central. Her first attempt to cross was blocked by a LIU defender, but the rebound came right back to her and she put a shot into the upper left corner to make it 5-1 with 7:00 to play.

Central ousthot LIU Brooklyn, 14-5, and junior Nicki Turley made three saves for Central. Jessica Montrose made three saves for the Blackbirds.

The win marked the first time CCSU tallied at least four goals in consecutive games since 5-1 and 4-0 victories over Saint Francis U. and Robert Morris on Oct. 30 and Nov. 1, 2009.

Central next travels to Mount St. Mary's for a 4:00 p.m. match on Friday, October 9.