Box Score The College of Staten Island women's soccer team scored a pair of first-half goals, then added another in the second half when Purchase State threatened, to take a 3-1 win over the visiting Panthers as part of non-conference play at the CSI Soccer Complex the afternoon.  The win lifted the Dolphins to 5-0-1 to start the season, while the Panthers fell to 0-5.

The Dolphins controlled most of the play in the first half, but the golden opportunities were relatively difficult for both teams to come by.  CSI, however, was able to capitalize on its best chance just 10:16 into the game.  Melissa Gelardi started a break by finding Jennifer Cosenza, who launched a one-timer pass from the sidelines into the middle of play to Samantha Wysokowski.  Wysokowski came in on a breakaway, and made a brilliant side-step move to beat keeper Jess Lindsay, forcing Lindsay to trip up the CSI attacker in the box, leading to an awarded penalty shot. Wysokowski booted the ball into the top shelf to give CSI the 1-0 lead.

From there, both team traded periods of lengthy possession, sending a small handful of shots at each net that were deflected with ease.  Towards the end of the stanza, however, CSI settled in for a corner kick.  Melissa Gelardi's cross from there slid out of the goal box and after a flurry to get to the ball, it ended up at the foot of Gelardi at the top right of the goal box.  Gelardi stepped into the ball and launched a perfect cross on to the head of an unmarked Wysokowski, who launched the ball over Lindsay to give CSI a 2-0 lead with just 13:17 left in the period.

The teams went into halftime from there with CSI holding a 10-2 lead in shots, but only a slimmer, 4-2, advantage in shots on goal.  The Panthers knew they were within striking distance, and didn't wait long to prove it.

Just 3:28 into the second stanza, a rush up the field down the right sideline was started by Nathalie Lavelanet, who shuffled a short pass towards the top of the goal box for Cristina DeJesus, who reached back and launched a low lining shot into the lower corner passed CSI keeper Victoria Donegan to but Purchase back into the game, down only 2-1.

CSI's defense stiffened from there, and Purchase would only get two more shots on goal.  Meanwhile, slow but sure, CSI continued to mount their attack.  In the 65th minute, CSI got another corner kick, and this time Gelardi bended a ball right into goal off of Lindsay's fingertips to give CSI back its commanding 3-1 lead with just 24:19 to play.  The Panthers tried in vain for a comeback, but the back line of CSI's Natalie Tombasco, Amanda Percaccio, Nicole Molinell, and Megan Burke, kept the Panthers at bay.

CSI finished with an 18-7 edge in shots (7-6 on goal), earning three corner kicks to Purchase's two.  Wysokowski led the Dolphins with seven shots, five on goal. Amanda Green led the Panthers with three shots.  Lindsay made four saves, while Donegan made five saves in the complete-game win.

The Dolphins will return to action on Wednesday, September 18, when they travel to face Lehman College at 7pm in their first CUNYAC game of the season.  The 5-0-1 current start by the Dolphins is their finest in team history.