WILKES-BARRE, PA (October 23, 2018) – The King's College women's soccer team put together their most impressive offensive performance of the year on Tuesday night in their final match of the season at McCarthy Stadium. The Monarchs scored six times in the second half to defeat visiting Keystone College 7-0.
The seven goals are the most King's (6-8) has scored all year and the most since a 9-0 victory over Clarks Summit in the second match of the season last year. The six goals in a half are the most the Monarchs have scored since 2010 when they had six in the first half of a 9-0 victory against Medgar Evers College on the second day of the Cyclone Classic.
The Monarchs dominated possession from the very start taking the ball downfield as Emily Harrington sent in a dangerous cross from the left side in the first minute. Her cross was knocked away by a Giants defender before a Monarch was able to get a foot or head on it. Keystone was not as lucky on King's next attack as this time Harrington found Putnam in the middle of the box for the first goal of the match at the two-minute mark.
King's kept the pressure on the Keystone defense putting a total of 15 shots on goal in the first half. In the seventh minute Putnam sent a cross into the middle of the box where Breanna Jacinto one-timed a shot towards goal that Rebakah Shepherd was able to save. A couple minutes later Shepherd made another save on a shot from Allison Andrew out of a scrum in the middle of the box on a corner kick by Jacinto.
Harrington, Kara Keim, and Jacinto all had shots from distance that Shepherd was able to keep out of the back of the net as the Giants struggled to get the ball pass midfield in the first 20 minutes. Harrington had two more looks from about 20 yards out on the left side as she tried to find the inside of the upper right, but Shepherd was able to keep both balls out of net. Shepherd made a fantastic save off an Anna Lacalamita shot in the 23rd minute when Jacinto sent a corner kick into the middle of the box finding Lacalamita with open space.
Melanie Matthews nearly scored in the 33rd minute when her attempt hit the left post and rolled back onto the pitch. Keim had three good looks from distance that Shepherd was needed to keep out of net before the keeper made one of her biggest saves of the night on a rocket strike from Sophia Sacknievich in the middle of the box. Shepherd made her 14th save of the half in the 43rd minute when Alyssa Macher dribbled the ball down the left side with just one defender to beat. After evading the Giant defender, her shot from close range was denied by Shepherd.
It didn't take very long for the Monarchs to add to their lead in the second half as Jacinto picked up a loose ball following a misplay by the Giants keeper and knocked it into net for the first goal of her career just 37 seconds into the half.
Harrington had two great opportunities to score but her shots from the left side were knocked away by Shepherd.
Natalie Poulton missed just high on a header off a corner kick by Jacinto before Harrington drew a foul in the box setting up a penalty kick for King's. Andrew just missed wide right on her kick. King's got the ball right back from Keystone as Putnam took on a Giant defender and just missed her second goal of the game hitting the left post. Harrington and Andrew had a beautiful give and go in the middle of the field, but Harrington's attempt sailed right of the net.
Putnam made it 3-0 with her second goal of the night in the 65th minute heading in a cross by Lauren Geiger. Geiger found Putnam at the back post after a cross from the right side for her first career assist. Not even two minutes later King's scored again as Andrew sent a cross into the box from the left side finding Lacalamita for a one-timer into the back of the net. Andrew quickly made it 5-0 a minute later on an excellent give and go with Putnam.
Geiger recorded her second assist of the match in the 75th minute when Lacalamita knocked in her second goal of the night off the corner kick.
Melanie Matthews scored King's seventh and final goal of the evening in the 87th minute. Matthews caused a turnover in King's offensive zone and then sent a shot past the keeper on the left wing for her first career goal.
Putnam finished the night with two goals and one assist while Lacalamita scored twice and Andrew had a goal and an assist. Jess Schenfeld, Tara Bender, and Elizabeth Nolen all saw time in net. Schenfeld played the first 28 minutes before giving way to Bender. Neither Schenfeld or Bender were needed to make a save though both came out of net a few times to halt a Keystone attack. Nolen made two saves in the final 22 minutes.
The Monarchs put 26 of their 38 shots on goal while taking 17 corner kicks. King's stifling defense allowed the Giants to take just two shots late in the match from distance while not conceding a single corner kick. The Monarchs set season-highs in goals, assists, shots, shots on goal, and corners while their defense allowed season-lows in shots and corners.
King's will look to keep the momentum going into the regular seasonal finale on Saturday as the Monarchs will travel down to St. Davids to face Eastern University in a battle for the fourth and final conference tournament spot. A win or draw against the Eagles will clinch the program's first conference tournament berth since 2015. Kickoff is scheduled for 12 p.m. on Olson Field
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