CLINTON, S.C. – Tori Lopez (Snellville, Ga.) scored two
goals and assisted on another to help the Presbyterian College women's soccer
team capture their first win of 2012 with a 4-1 rout of the visiting Virginia Military
Institute on Saturday afternoon.
PC (1-10-0, 1-3-0 Big South) took a 2-0 lead in the first
4:40 on goals from Sara Simpson (Columbia, S.C.) and Lopez to put VMI (1-9-0,
0-4-0 Big South) in an early hole.
Four goals for the Blue Hose mark the most in a game since
PC topped Lipscomb with a 4-0 victory on September 16, 2007.
Freshman goalkeeper Sydney Fontenot (Austin, Texas) made
five saves en route to her first collegiate victory.
The Blue Hose wasted little time finding the scoreboard,
striking 2:17 after the opening whistle. Lopez played a ball to Simpson into the goal box, who
turned and fired a low shot into the net to give the Blue Hose a 1-0.
Lopez followed a little over two minutes later with a goal
of her own. Keri O'Neill (Peachtree City, Ga.) streaked up the right side and
found Lopez in the box, who nearly replicated Simpson's goal to give the Blue
Hose a quick two-goal lead.
PC scored once more before halftime. Kelly Kozera (Rome,
Ga.) laced a hard shot from outside the box that goalkeeper Mackenzie Harrmann
stopped, but Lopez pounced on the rebound and cashed in for her second of the
day to extend PC's lead to 3-0 in the 27th minute. The goal ended
Harrmann's day as Kirsten Hancock entered the game in relief.
Alice Blackwell (Marietta, S.C.) iced the match with a goal
in the 52nd minute. A Keydet foul in front of the net on O'Neill set up
a PC penalty kick. Blackwell's low shot found the hands of Harrmann, but the ball
bounced back out to Blackwell and the senior converted the chance for her
second of the season.
The Keydets found the scoreboard with 1:05 left in the match as Meredith Baldasare beat Fontenot on a one-on-one situation to avoid the
shutout.
Stephanie Allen (Augusta, Ga.) turned in an impressive
effort, taking three shots and playing all 90 minutes. The midfielder stymied
several VMI runs in combination with the PC back line.
Alison Stelling (Greenwood, S.C.) played a career-high 19
minutes in the win.
PC will next head to High Point for a Thursday night matchup
against the Panthers at 7 p.m.
