LAURIE’S HAT TRICK PROPELS WOMEN’S SOCCER TO 3-0 SHUTOUT OF FELICIAN IN ECAC SEMIFINALS

Box Score vs. Felician - November 12, 2008

ROCKVILLE CENTRE, N.Y. (Nov. 12, 2008) - Sophomore midfielder Charlotte Laurie (Huntington, N.Y.) provided all the offense that the Molloy College women's soccer team would need on Wednesday afternoon with a hat trick to lift the third-seeded Lions over the second-seeded Golden Falcons of Felician College by a 3-0 score in the semifinals of the 2008 Eastern Collegiate Athletic Championship at the Dean G. Skelos Sports Complex in Rockville Centre, N.Y.

Laurie led off her scoring barrage for Molloy (9-7-2) in the 17th-minute when she and freshman forward Tove Naslund (Nykoping, Sweden) teamed up for their first of two scores. On the play, Naslund sent a short through ball to Laurie for a breakaway. The sophomore then faked right and put a ball underneath Felician (10-11) senior keeper/forward Amanda Musarra (South Amboy, N.J.), which found its way into the right side of the net. The Lions eventually went into intermission ahead by the same count of 1-0.

A little more than two minutes into the latter half, Laurie and Naslund worked together again to strike for a second tally. This time, Laurie received a pass from Naslund, and proceeded to punch a shot from six yards out on the close right wing into the left side of the goal. Lastly, in the 80th-minute, she completed the feat with a free ball off a corner kick from senior midfielder Kristie Caruso (Whitestone, N.Y.). Laurie sent it into a wide open net for the trifecta.

Musarra made five saves for the Golden Falcons, while Lions' senior keeper Christina Aquilon (Queens, N.Y.) turned aside a game-high seven shots. Molloy also held a 15-9 margin in shots and a 5-2 edge in corner kicks. Laurie attempted a game-high five shots (four SOG). Freshman forward Ashley Kilcommons (Baldwin, N.Y.) notched three shots. Junior forward/goalkeeper Paula Sanelli (Longwood, N.Y.) added two shots.

For Felician, sophomore forward D.J. Jacobowitz (Staten Island, N.Y.) had a team-high three shots - all of which were on net. Junior midfielder/forward Aleshia Jijon (Rochelle Park, N.J.) and senior midfielder Lindsey Petry (Newton, N.J.) posted two shots apiece. Senior defender Brittany Lohman (Nutley, N.J.) and senior forward Jenna Krowl (Kearny, N.J.) took a shot each. 

Head Coach Danny Longo and the Lions will now play for the right to wear the ECAC Division II Championship crown. Molloy will go to Philadelphia, Pa. to clash with top-seeded Philadelphia University on Saturday night at St. Joseph's University. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m.