Women's Soccer Scores Seven Unanswered Against Sarah Lawrence, Improves to 2-0

BROOKLYN, N.Y. – Freshman Cansu Usta (Brooklyn, N.Y./Fort Hamilton) scored five goals to lead the St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) women's soccer team to a 9-2 victory over Sarah Lawrence College on Friday afternoon at Aviator Sports and Events Center.

The Lady Bears (2-0) scored seven unanswered goals and held former Hudson Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Conference rivals Gryphons (1-1) to no second half shots in remaining undefeated on the young season.

Usta opened the scoring in the 11th minute with a breakaway goal set up by a pass from senior Shannon Rom (Breezy Point, N.Y./Bishop Kearney) who finished with two assists on the night. The Gryphons would level the game 11 minutes later on a rebound goal from Shannon Sullivan, before Usta would put the Lady Bears up again, sprung by a free kick near the midfield stripe and finishing high left past the keeper.

In the 35th minute, Clara Ezcurra scored her first of the season from close range to knot the game at 2-2, but Usta would quickly respond with the eventual game-winner less than two minutes later, sealing her second career hat trick to start her collegiate career.

Junior Shannon Fahy (Breezy Point, N.Y./Bishop Kearney) gave St. Joseph's a 4-2 lead with a late goal just minutes before the intermission.

The second half was dominated by the Lady Bears as they scored five second-half goals – two each from Usta and Daniela Semilia (Brooklyn, N.Y./Bishop Kearney) and another from Fahy – and outshot the Gryphons 14-0 in the period.

Junior Pamela Chernyakhovsky (Brooklyn, N.Y./Leon M. Goldstein) finished with two assists in the victory. 

St. Joseph's opens Hudson Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play on Monday, September 17 facing Yeshiva University at Tibbetts Brook Park starting at 8 p.m.