The 6A Pioneers and 4A Falcons played to a scoreless tie in the first half, but the Pioneers broke the La Salle defense down after intermission, getting open-net goals from McLaughlin and Plaster in pulling away for the non-conference win. McLaughlin’s score, coming six minutes into the second half, came on a chip shot from 15 yards after she reached a loose ball in the box and evaded the pursuit of defender Emily Basile. Later, Plaster gathered a loose-ball feed into the box and delivered a shot into an empty net after keeper Natalie Byrne had come off her line in an attempt to beat Plaster to an uncontested ball. Byrne finished with 10 saves for the Falcons.
La Salle had two shots on goal. “I feel we are playing too much of the game in our defensive third and working our defenders too much, so we will be working on our play in the attacking part of the field,” said La Salle head coach Ryan Cereghino following the contest. “Junior captain Emily Basile quickly recovered from the far side of the field to stop a breakaway attempt in the first half, and Natalie Byrnes made 10 saves throughout the game and will continue to provide leadership in goal. “Creating offensive opportunities will come with playing more soccer together, getting to know each other’s tendencies, and practice. We defended set pieces much better and tackled hard throughout the game,” Cereghino added.
Written by Dave Haglund
