READING — The Penn State Berks women's soccer team (6-5-1) held their final non-conference contest as they hosted Salisbury University (2-9-1) on Wednesday, October 7. A goal at the 20th minutes and a strong defense helped Berks hold off the Sea Gulls for a 1-0 win.
The Blue & White used multiple corners to put pressure on Salisbury, with
Stephanie Morales finally kicking the door down for a Nittany Lions lead. Morales received a corner pass from
Devon Deery and made her shot right in the net at the 19:44 mark, making it 1-0 for Berks. After the goal, the Sea Gulls pushed for an equalizer, but
Riley Fisher made four saves during the closing 13 minutes of the half to keep the lead intact.
Emily Erb forced a save in the 43rd minute and
Paige Thomas added another late attempt as the Nittany Lions carried the 1-0 advantage into halftime.
Berks held the Sea Gulls scoreless throughout the second half to finish off a 1-0 win. Fisher made an early save in the 52nd minute as the Nittany Lions managed a stretch that included two Sea Gulls corner kicks and another shot, keeping the one-goal margin intact. The Nittany Lions answered with chances of their own, as Laster and Morales forced saves in the 60th minute before
Emily Erb and Laster added shots in the 71st minute. Fisher added another save in the 75th minute, and Berks absorbed late pressure, including a Sea Gulls shot in the final minute, to close out the shutout.
Morales scored the game-winning goal for Berks. Morales sits atop the United East with 13 goals and is tied for sixth in Division III in total goals.
Devon Deery recorded the assist on Berks' goal. Fisher made six saves over 90 minutes for the Nittany Lions. She recorded her sixth shutout of the season, leading the United East in that category. Fisher is also ranked fifth in the conference with a 1.75 goal-against-average.
WHO'S NEXT
Up next, the Nittany Lions will return to United East action as Berks travels to Baltimore, Maryland to take on Notre Dame of Maryland University on Saturday, Oct. 10, at noon.
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