Freshmen Lead FGCU to 7-0 Win Over Lynn

by Patrick Pierson
August 18, 2012
<p><strong>FORT MYERS, Fla. &ndash;</strong> Led by four freshmen who combined to score five goals, the FGCU women&rsquo;s soccer team opened its 2012 season with a convincing 7-0 win over Lynn on Friday night at the FGCU Soccer Complex.</p> <p>The defending two-two A-Sun champs improved to 4-2 all-time in season openers, as the Green and Blue kicked off just the sixth season in program history. FGCU will continue its home opening weekend on Sunday at 1 p.m. when it hosts No. 12 UCF, who won at USF, 3-1, on Friday.</p> <p>Freshman<strong> Ali Rogers (Naples, Fla./Gulf Coast HS)</strong> opened her collegiate career with a pair of goals, registering eight shots in the game, including two more off the post. Fellow freshmen <strong>Kaitlin Parker (Palm Harbor, Fla./Clearwater Central Catholic HS)</strong>, <strong>Shea Rhoney (Lithia, Fla./Newsome HS)</strong> and<strong> Ally Kasun (Lancaster, Pa./Hempfield HS)</strong> started the first-year scoring frenzy with the opening three goals of the game.</p> <p>Reigning A-Sun Tournament MVP <strong>Shannen Wacker (Parker, Colo./Ponderosa HS)</strong> picked up where she left off in 2011 with three points on a goal and an assist on the opening tally of the game. Parker added two assists with her game-opening goal, while A-Sun Preseason Defensive Player of the Year<strong> Ashley Ciesielczyk (Oregon, Ohio/Clay HS)</strong> also had two helpers. Ciesielczyk had a program single-season record 12 assists in 2011.</p> <p>Redshirt freshman<strong> Danielle LeRoy (Tampa, Fla./H.B. Plant HS)</strong> and true freshman <strong>Brittany Brown (Rochester, N.Y./Greece Athena HS)</strong> split time in net. LeRoy saw three Lynn shots in the opening 45 minutes, while Brown made the only save of the night for the Eagles in the second half.</p> <p>After a shaky opening 10 minutes, FGCU began to create scoring chances until Parker calmed the youthful Eagles&rsquo; nerves in the 27th minute with a well-executed give-and-go with Wacker. FGCU started seven underclassmen, including four freshmen.</p> <p>Parker&rsquo;s goal seemed to flick the switch for the FGCU attack, as Rhoney found the back of the net just 94 seconds later on a pass from sophomore<strong> Julia Roddar (Falun, Sweden/Shattuck-St. Mary&rsquo;s Academy/Wisconsin)</strong> to give FGCU a 2-0 lead, an advantage it would take into the half.</p> <p>Kasun&rsquo;s goal at the 57:52 mark opened the scoring in the second half in which FGCU poured in five goals. Wacker scored almost exactly six minutes later on assist by Kasun followed by back-to-back goals from Rogers and sophomore<strong> Sam Vinton&rsquo;s (Ada, Mich./Forest Hills Central HS)</strong> first career goal to cap things.</p> <p>FGCU finished the game with a 28-4 shot advantage, putting half of them on frame (14).</p> <p>In-game twitter updates during Sunday&rsquo;s showdown with No. 12 UCF are available at www.twitter.com/FGCUEagles.</p>
Trending Videos
IMG Academy Top 200/150 Rankings
see full ranking:
Boys Girls