Nazareth Academy - Lasers Soccer *** 2009 News > Home Page Archives

September 30, 2009

Tuesday’s win may not go down as the prettiest in the history of Nazareth Lasers soccer, but the hard-fought victory might have served the purpose of helping the ’09 team find their identity. Beset with injuries and illness, the Lasers were forced to do some soul-searching.

Janine Swanson’s goal in the match’s 33^rd minute proved the game-winner as Nazareth downed the Charles Finney Falcons, 2-1 in Private-Parochial League action.

Swanson received a pass back from Savannah Tucker and let go with a shot from 25 yards away that dipped just under the cross bar.  The goal was the senior captain’s second of the season and 20^th in her Naz career.

The goal came eight minutes after the Falcons knotted the game at one. Christian Harris took a pass from Alex Sarkozy and broke into the open for the tally.

Naz opened the game with a quick goal. Biannca Bullard took a pass from Tucker to open the scoring in the game’s third minute.

The teams struck a frantic end-to-end pace in the second half. Finney captured the best chance with a breakaway that Megan Kane turned away. Kane finished with seven saves.

From there the Laser defensive corps of Melissa Ercoli, Sara Hart-Predmore, and Haley Swanson helped the Blue and Gold tilt the game in their favor.

With the defense shutting down the Falcon attack, Naz pressured the Finney keeper for the final twenty minutes without scoring. Bullard led Anna Brado with a diagonal to the right flank. The freshman served a timely cross to Lauren Kelly at far post, but her shot went just wide of frame.

The Lasers were without leading scorer, Emily Kelly, who was home with bronchitis. Adding to the struggles, Harley Cleary went down with an ankle injury in the 70^th minute. Naz is already playing without Maggie Bates. She, too, suffered an ankle injury.