Box Score
WEST CHESTER, Pa. - Friday the 13th didn't bother
Lauren Testa and the Mercyhurst University women's soccer team.
Trailing 2-1 at halftime, the Lakers used a pair of goals from Testa and an exclamation strike from junior
Emily Leiby in the second half to defeat the Golden Rams 4-2 on Friday afternoon. The Lakers, winners of two straight, improved to 2-1-1 overall and to 1-1-1 in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC). West Chester, ranked seventh in the country a week ago, lost its second successive match and dropped to 1-2 and 1-2 respectively.
The Golden Rams, the PSAC pre-season favorite, scored at 30:34 of the first half when Lexi Brown finished a three-way passing play to beat sophomore netminder
Ellie McDougall.
Mercyhurst tied the game nine minutes later when senior
Perrin Kern took a shot from the side. West Chester goalie Alex Srolis misplayed the shot and the ball trickled into the net. The Golden Rams recaptured the lead late in the half following a Mercyhurst turnover. Maddy Barretti passed the ball to Cara Deola who found the back of the net.
Testa and the Lakers went to work after intermission.
The sophomore tied the game at two-apiece at 68:25, converting a pass from junior
Janine Wong. The Rochester, New York, native then scored what proved to be the game-winner at 80:05 when she deposited a free kick over Srolis. Leiby finished the scoring at 88:07. She was determined to be the last player to touch the ball as the Golden Rams inadvertently knocked it into their own net following a corner kick and an ensuing scramble.
Testa's two goals marked the second two-goal game of her career. She posted both Mercyhurst goals last October in a 2-1 overtime win against Shippensburg.
McDougall saved Mercyhurst's bacon early in the contest by stopping Deola's penalty kick four minutes into the match. She was credited with six saves as West Chester outshot Mercyhurst 14-9. The Golden Rams also owned a 6-2 advantage in corner kicks.
The Lakers will look for their third straight win tomorrow at noon when they play at East Stroudsburg.
