SAINTS TOP BLUE DEVILS 2-0 IN LOTTO CLASSIC

Aug. 30: Sophomore forward Lizzie Bogosian had three points in the opening contest of the 2008 North Country Lotto Classic to lead the St. Lawrence University women’s soccer team to a 2-0 shutout over Fredonia State University on Saturday afternoon on Sandy MacAllaster Field.

The Saints begin the season with a 1-0-0 mark, while the Blue Devils open up their 2008 campaign with a 0-1-0 record as both teams head into their second matchups of the tournament tomorrow afternoon.

Scoring for St. Lawrence was junior forward Megan Howard (Shelburne, VT/Champlain Valley Union) and Bogosian (Manlius, NY/Loomis Chaffee), while Bogosian also tallied an assist.  Junior midfielder Becca Townsend (Stockton, NJ/North Hunterdon) added the assist on the Saints’ second goal.

The game got off to a quick start with the Scarlet and Brown taking control of the ball early on and never letting up.  Their early efforts were rewarded in just the eleventh minute of the contest, when Bogosian played a ball to Howard at the corner of the 18.  The forward received the ball with her back to goal and was able to turn on her defender and create enough separation to get her head up, when she spotted Fredonia’s goalkeeper Becky Scroger cheating off her line.  Howard chipped the keeper to the post to secure the eventual game winning goal for the Scarlet and Brown while putting them up on the scoreboard first with a 1-0 edge.

The remainder of the first half included a number of missed opportunities for the Saints, who used their athleticism to maintain possession throughout much of the half.  The home team had nine shots, three on goal, in the remainder of the period, while Fredonia had two shots against Saints’ keeper rookie Abby van Geldern (Rowayton, CT/Brien McMahon H.S.).

The final 45 minutes of the game saw some pressure from the visiting Blue Devils as they were able to keep the ball in the Saints’ defensive end of the field throughout the opening minutes.  But St. Lawrence proved they could withstand Fredonia’s efforts, as their backs were able to keep the Blue Devils from getting near the goal while giving the Saints more chances to score.

Bogosian, who had a game-high three shots on goal in the contest, scored her first goal of the season after Townsend started the play from the corner.  Once the ball was in play, a misplaced clearance inside the six put the ball at the foot of Bogosian, where she buried it past Scroger for a 2-0 lead.

The hosting team was able to hold on to their advantage while only allowing one shot on goal in the final minutes, where van Geldern earned her first collegiate shutout to insure the win for the Saints.  St. Lawrence outshot Fredonia 18-6 while producing eight tough shots on goal that Scroger was able to keep from going between the posts.

“I thought the team performed very well today,” said Saints’ Head Coach Franco Bari. “We played a new system and they adapted accordingly.  I was particularly impressed with how they moved the ball.  The momentum was good, and I have to give a lot of credit to Fredonia.  They played very hard today.”

St. Lawrence will play Wilkes University, who defeated Clarkson University 4-0 late Saturday afternoon in the second game of the tournament.  What has turned into the Lotto Classic’s championship game tomorrow between the Saints and Colonels will begin at noon on Sandy MacAllaster Field.