Boxscore
WILMINGTON, Del. – Sophomore Karin Eriksson scored a hat trick for the Goldey-Beacom College women's soccer team, but it was not enough as the host Lightning fell, 4-3 at Churchman-Sawin Athletic Field Tues. afternoon.
With the loss, GBC is now 0-3 to start the season, and the Spartans, of the East Coast Conference, improved to 1-4.
The Lightning struck early when Eriksson took a feed from senior midfielder Kate Attenberger and put it in from inside the 18 just 26 seconds into the game. The goal marked the first of the season for GBC after being shut out in the first two games.
Tori Matt would respond quickly for St. Thomas Aquinas, putting in a feed from Katherine Dapolito just before the three-minute mark.
The Spartans then took the lead on a goal from Elizabeth Gronwoldt nearing the 16-minute mark. Depolito assisted on the goal once again.
Neither team would score again before the half, and St. Thomas Aquinas took a 2-1 lead into the intermission.
A little over 10 minutes into the second half, the Spartans scored back-to-back goals in a span of 27 seconds. Matt scored first off an assist from Gronwoldt, and then Nicole Biolsi scored an unassisted goal following a GBC turnover to give St. Thomas Aquinas a 4-1 advantage.
But the Lightning did not quit. A little over the 60-minute mark, Eriksson struck again off an assist from senior defender Danielle Burns. Goldey-Beacom, though outshot 15-14 in the second half and 27-20 in the game, applied a lot of offensive pressure late in the game.
That offensive pressure resulted in a penalty shot for the Lightning, which Eriksson put home to bring GBC within a goal, at 4-3.
Freshman midfielder Megan O'Connor had perhaps GBC's best shot at the equalizer nearing the 87-minute mark when she blasted an open shot from just outside the 18 that sailed just over the crossbar. The Lightning had another breakaway opportunity nearing the 89th minute, but Attenberger's lead pass to a streaking sophomore Ashley Longo rolled too far, and the Spartan goalkeeper Jeanette Gibson came out and scooped it up.
Goldey-Beacom is back in action on Sat., Sept. 12 as the Lightning begin Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference play on the road against Concordia College.
