No. 12 Women???s Soccer Tops Harvard, 2-0
September 20, 2006 | Women's Soccer
BOSTON – Two first-half goals lifted the 12th-ranked Boston University women’s soccer team (6-2-1) over Harvard University (0-6-1) at Nickerson Field on Wednesday night. Freshmen Emily Pallotta (Andover, Mass.) and Casey Brown (Natick, Mass.) scored for BU, while senior Paula Moniz (Bridgewater, Mass.) assisted on both goals. The win marked the Terriers' first victory over the Crimson in the series history.
“I thought the first half went very well,” said head coach Nancy Feldman. “We were aggressive going to goal and moving forward. In the second half we were a bit more passive. So it was a tale of two halves. But I thought we played gritty, we bended but we did not break. This team is very determined and resilient and we held on to the end. It was good to go up early in the game and get the two goals.”
Pallotta second her second collegiate goal in the fifth minute of the match. Moniz came down the left flank and from deep in the Harvard half the senior sent a cross into the box that found the foot of Pallotta. Pallotta controlled the ball and with one touch sent it into the near right side for the game-winning goal.
Brown increased the Terriers lead at 16:21. On a corner kick, Moniz sent the ball to the far left corner, where Brown leapt over the crowd to head it into the back of net. The goal marked the defender’s first career point.
In the first half, the Terrier defense, led by senior co-captain Erica Lee (Oakton, Va.), did not allow a single shot attempt. While the Terriers generated most of their offense in the first half the defensive core held Harvard to two shots on goal in the second half.
Senior Stephanie Dreyer collected two saves in the shutout effort, earning her sixth win of the season and sixth shutout. Freshman Farrell McClernon (Westchester, Pa.) led the offense with six shots and three that were on frame. McClernon nearly scored in the first half but Harvard goalkeeper Lauren Mann made a diving save to push the ball just outside the goal post.
BU hosts Stony Brook on Saturday at Nickerson Field at 3 p.m., as the Terriers open their conference schedule.
