Syracuse University
Virginia Tech
Syracuse Opens BIG EAST Divsion Schedule With Win
9/21/2003 4:33:46 PM | Women's Soccer
SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Sophomore Kristina Cristofori scored the game-winning goal in the 85th minute to give the Syracuse women’s soccer team a 2-1 victory versus BIG EAST Northeast Division foe Virginia Tech on Sunday at the Syracuse Soccer Stadium. The Orangewomen are now 5-2-0 overall and 1-0-0 in the league. Virginia Techs stands at 4-3-0 and has an 0-1-0 mark in the conference.
With the match tied 1-1, freshman Molly McManus was able to save a ball from crossing the endline and flipped it to a cutting Cristofori for the score at 85:17, giving the Orangewomen a 2-1 lead. Syracuse was able to control the last 4:43 seconds to earn the triumph.
The tally was Cristofori’s fourth of the year, tied for second on the team with junior Shana Thomas, who also scored her fourth goal of the season in the contest. Cristofori also ranks second on the team with 11 points. The assist was McManus’ second helper of 2003. Both have come on game-winning goals. She assisted on senior Nina Scalzo’s game-winner in the Orangewomen’s, 1-0, shutout of Massachusetts.
Virginia Tech opened the scoring at the 16:32 mark. The Hokies were able to earn a corner kick, and on the ensuing flurrry, Jessica Myers fed Emily Barnhart for the score and 1-0 lead. The game remained that way until senior captain Anne Marie Lapalme hit Thomas with a lead pass as she crossed into the offensive zone. Thomas outran a Hokie defender and beat Virginia Tech goalkeeper Mallory Soldner with a high shot to the left corner from just inside the box at 73:26 to tie the game 1-1, setting the stage for Cristofori’s game-winner.
Sophomore goalkeeper Emily Kowalczyk made six saves to earn the victory. Soldner made seven stops for the Hokies.
Syracuse out shot Virginia Tech 15-10, including a 10-0 advantage in the second half. The Orangewomen also held the edge in corner kicks 6-2, including a 4-0 advantage in the second half.
The Orangewomen will host non-conference opponent Albany on Thursday, Sept. 25 at the Soccer Stadium. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.
