New York, NY | The College of Staten Island women's soccer team won for the fourth-straight time and for the first time in conference play this afternoon, powering by John Jay College, 3-0, as part of CUNYAC play at Randall's Island. The win moved CSI to 4-2 overall and 1-0 within the CUNYAC, while the Bloodhounds fell to 3-3-1, 0-1, respectively.
In a game that saw CSI hold a marked statistical offensive advantage, the game was a stalemate for much of the first half. The Dolphins littered the John Jay end with shots, but Bloodhounds keeper Brittany Shaneberger made five stops to keep the Dolphins off of the scoreboard.
CSI never relented at trying to open up offensively and in the 41st minute of play, CSI leading scorer
Samantha LaValle scored in her fourth-straight game, running onto a ball in open space given to her by
Mirsade Pelinkovic. LaValle took the ball in alone against Shaneberger, and powered a ball through to stake CSI to a 1-0 lead right before halftime, her 12th marker of the season. CSI keeper
Kaila DiBenedetto was able to preserve the first-half shutout, making three saves, all against JJC's Katie Healy.
Playing with the lead, CSI played an even better second half, blazing a total of 14 shots in the JJC end next to the Bloodhounds' one. Despite seven second-half saves by Shaneberger, CSI was able to get through in the 61st minute, extending to 2-0 when Pelinkovic got a goal of her own, putting one into the left corner off of a
Lizbeth Aparicio feeder.
With 13 minutes left to play, CSI tallied their second insurance goal, this time by senior
Lauren Smith off of a
Victoria Sanchez pass into open space, scoting her third of the year with a dinger off of the left goalpost.
Including the playoffs, CSI extended their unbeaten streak against CUNYAC competition to 14 games, and it improved CSI's all-time record against the Bloodhounds to 16-0-2.
CSI will get a short rest before returning to the pitch on Saturday, this time back at home to continue CUNYAC play against visiting Medgar Evers College at 11:00 am.
