University of Delaware Athletics
Three Hens Put Away Goals As UD Rolls to a 3-1 Victory at ODU (Oct. 7, 2011)
10/7/2011 1:57:00 PM | Women's Soccer
Boxscore
NORFOLK, Va. – Winning its sixth game in the last seven, the University of Delaware women's soccer team knocked off Old Dominion University 3-1 Friday night, getting its goals from three different sources.
A pair of seniors, Amy Pickard and Leigh Victory found the back of the net once each, while Ali Miller accounted for the third goal. Miller got the scoring going early in the game, while Pickard's marker broke a nearly 50 minute tie.
Junior midfielder Mel Pennington and sophomore back/midfielder Dianna Marinaro posted Delaware's assists, with Pennington on Pickard's tally and Marinaro on the Victory marker.
The victory at Old Dominion Soccer Complex marked the Hens third straight conference win and was the third straight time three different Hens scored a goal.
“It was a great results to get three points on the road against a very talented ODU team,” said Delaware head coach Scott Grzenda. “We made some adjustments at half and the girls really responded. It was a great second half and it's great that we have so many players contributing on both sides of the ball.”
Grzenda, a 1987 Delaware graduate, now has 201 career victories, just seven shy of tying former men's soccer coach, and UD Athletics Hall of Famer, Loren Kline's mark of 208 for best all-time for a soccer coach at UD.
Delaware, now 7-4-1 overall, has won six of its last seven games. Pickard has scored at least one point in those six wins. The only loss over that span is a 2-1 decision to Georgia State, a game in which Pickard could not tally a point.
The Hens, who were ranked No. 10 in this week's NSCAA/adidas Mid-Atlantic Regional Rankings, jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the eighth minute as Miller continued her torrid scoring streak, scoring once in each of Delaware's last four games. Miller, the team's leading scorer with six markers, took advantage of a Monarch yellow card just outside the penalty box, taking the free kick and finishing to the top left corner.
But Old Dominion (5-6-2, 2-2-1) tied the game a 1-1 in the 19th minute as Jocelyn Weidner put away her second goal of the year. Lisa Bernardini was credited with the assist.
Neither team could find the back of the net before the halftime break as the two squads found themselves knotted at 1-1.
Pickard, the two-time CAA Player of the Week, finally broke the tie in the 72nd minute with her sixth goal of the season to put the Hens (3-1-0 CAA) back on top 2-1. Pickard cut down the side of the box, receiving a pass from Pennington. Old Dominion Keeper Brianna Alavarado was nowhere to be found, allowing Pickard to finish into an open net.
Delaware, now 7-2-2 all-time against the Monarchs, picked bit of insurance from Victory, who tucked away her second goal of the season in the 86th minute to put the Hens up 3-1, which would stand as the final score of the evening.
Senior goalkeeper Breanna Stemler won her third straight game, making two saves in the contest. Opposite Stemler, ODU's Alavardo made four saves while her defense chipped in two team saves.
The Hens controlled the offensive pace, taking 17 shots including nine on goal. Miller, Delaware's leading shooter, took eight total attempts with six on cage. Pickard was the only other Delaware player to put multiple shots on goal, tallying a pair.
Old Dominion held a 7-6 advantage in shots, but was also called for six fouls while the Hens were whistled just once. Delaware was called offsides twice as Old Dominion did not see the flag raised in the game.
The Hens will travel to William & Mary for a tilt on Sunday. The Tribe are ranked No. 2 in the Mid-Atlantic Region and received 55 votes in the NSCAA National Polls. Game time is set for 3 p.m. at newly renovated Martin Family Stadium at Albert-Daly Field.
