South Orange, N.J. - The LIU Brooklyn women's soccer team opened its 2012 season on Friday, suffering a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Seton Hall at Owen T. Carroll Field. The Pirates found the back of the net in the 18th and 73rd minutes en route to victory. Reigning Northeast Conference Goalkeeper of the Year Jennifer Bannon did her best to keep it close, stopping seven shots in net.

Junior Shino Kunisawa, playing in her first contest for LIU, registered the first shot on goal of the match but her header in the 12th minute was turned away by SHU goalie Gina Maiorana. Less than six minutes later, the Pirates broke the scoreless tie as Stephanie Soma scored off feeds from Amie Ruhe and Marie Klemme.

The match would remain a one-goal margin into the second half. The Blackbirds withstood a bevy a shots over the first seven minutes of the stanza, as Bannon stopped a pair of attempts and two more went high. LIU turned the tables on the Pirates and had a flurry of its own starting in the 59th minute.

Senior Evelyn Calderon took a pair of corner kicks and had two shots, one of which was stopped by Maiorana. Graduate student Toni Smith also had a go in the 60th minute but saw her shot go wide.

Ruhe doubled SHU's lead in the 73rd minute as her shot from about 25 yards out put the score 2-0. Both Calderon and Smith had one shot each over the final 17 minutes of action but neither attempt was on frame.

The Blackbirds will have a week off to regroup before a trip to Colorado for the Colorado Omni Tournament in Boulder, Colo. on Aug. 24-26. LIU will take on the University of Colorado on the first day of action on Friday, Aug. 24 at 6:00 p.m. EST.

---

RECOMMENDED FOR YOU

ECNL Girls N. Atlantic Players to Watch

Women's NCAA Tournament Round Two Preview

Best of Men's College Soccer Week 13