Siobhan Nolan. Staff

Women’s soccer faced away games against the University of Dayton and Saint Louis University this week, but unfortunately, they are coming back to 20th & Olney without a win. 

While at Dayton, the Flyers were able to score just about four minutes into play, with Itala Gemelli scoring the first shot of the contest. 

In the 35th minute, things went from bad to worse for the Explorers as Naya Vialva was shown a red card after committing a foul. Vialva was initially only given a yellow card, but after the officiating crew deliberated on the matter, she was sent off. 

Although they were playing with just 10 players, La Salle was able to find some offense in the second half. They were able to tally four shots in just 15 minutes. Junior Emily Banashefski sent a low strike towards the bottom left corner of the goal but wasn’t able to find the back of the net. 

Despite the promising energetic offensive push, the home team was able to find two new goals, handing the Explorers a 3-0 loss. 

It was then off to Missouri to take on Saint Louis University, where the first half saw very few scoring opportunities. Banashefski found herself in a position to score again, shooting a shot just wide of the right post in the last gasps of the game. 

Despite being outshot 5-1, goalkeeper Jordyn Stallard was able to make three saves to keep the game scoreless at halftime. 

The second got off to a less-than-ideal start, with the Billikens’ Lyndsey Hackel able to put the home team ahead four minutes in. 

Redshirt junior Camaren Cox took a shot of her own in the 59th minute, but the Saint Louis goalie was able to clear the ball without much trouble. 

The Billikens were able to put another goal on the board through Caroline Kelly, turning it into a 2-0 contest. 

Senior Molly O’Brien threatened in the 72nd minute, but again, the opposing goalie was able to handle the shot and keep the final score at 2-0.

Siobhan Nolan, Staff

The field hockey team was confident heading into their matchup against Towson University. Up until that point, they had been undefeated at Hank DeVincent Field. Confidence could only be bolstered by the fact that Towson was coming into this game with an 0-5 record, while La Salle held a respectable 4-2 record. 

The first quarter was relatively uneventful for both sides, with the Explorers registering just three shots on goal, and the Tigers managing just one. 

Towson, however, would strike first in the second quarter. Dominique Nelson’s pass would find the stick of Paige Reese, whose low shot managed to find its way through the numerous bodies in front of La Salle’s net, giving the Tigers a 1-0 lead. Despite being awarded five corners in the second quarter, the home team couldn’t find a breakthrough going into halftime. 

The second half of the game saw an ample amount of offensive pressure, outshooting Towson 6-1 and holding a 3-1 advantage on corners. Despite the constant pressure, the Explorers could not find a breakthrough and ended the game 1-0. 

It was then off to Big 5 rival Villanova on Sep. 19, where sophomore Tatum Johnson opened the scoring early. Johnson was able to give La Salle a 1-0 lead about four minutes into the game, but Villanova responded with goals from Amanda Middleman and Caitlin Van Goeverden. 

The Explorers weren’t deterred, however, quickly fighting back with goals from juniors Hannah Yanovich and Casey Reilly to take back their lead. The Wildcats were able to respond, equalizing with a goal from Sabine de Ruijter, and eventually winning the game with another de Ruijter goal. 

The field hockey team will be back in action on Sep. 24, taking on the University of Richmond in Virginia. 

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