Samantha Boyes, Staff

The women’s soccer team had an exciting two weeks with multiple successful games to start their season off strong. On Wednesday Sept. 15, the Explorers took home a major win against Saint Francis University. Freshman Lauren Costello put La Salle up 1-0 at the beginning of the first half with a goal right from an initial push from La Salle’s junior defender Naya Vialva. La Salle stayed strong and brought energy to the field after traveling more than four hours to Saint Francis. In an interview after the game, junior Emily Banashefski stated, “We were able to come out with such a high focus and energy.” The women maintained a strong defense and remained dialed in by stopping all three attempted shots from Saint Francis. In general, the Blue and Gold squad brought serious energy to the game and got an important win on the road during a rainstorm, a rare sight to see.  

The Explorers also had a grueling tie this past Sunday during the Atlantic 10 home opener against Fordham University. La Salle remained in the game through the second half and managed to come away with a goal from freshman defender Shea Collins. Although the Rams were able to even out the score 1-1, the women played smart and quick. Banashefski stated, “Although we didn’t get the result we wanted today, I think we played some unbelievable soccer and generated tons of quality opportunities… It’s great to see everyone bring their game to the next level during conference games because we know each one counts.” While a tie isn’t the outcome any sports team wants during any conference competitions, a tie keeps them in the running for A-10’s. 

The potential this young team has is more than impressive. Senior Molly O’Brien attests to what this team can do in the future by expressing that, “Our team is young, and we have learned a lot about ourselves during out of conference play. We have so much potential and have worked so hard to get to where we are now. I truly believe we are such a talented team and I think we will be one of the top teams in the Atlantic 10!”. This is a great start to the season for the young team. It seems the team has managed to carry their momentum from their previous season, when the women finished 7-2 in the season, into this season. It is a much needed momentum for the team, as a good amount of the players lack game day experience in a D1 setting. Whatever the case may be, if this opening weekend was anything of a sneak peek for their season, this squad can become the team to beat in the postseason