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University of Rhode Island

wsoc
Jack Lizza
1
Saint Joseph's SJU (7-4-4, 3-2-2)
4
Winner Rhode Island URI (7-4-4, 5-1-1)
Saint Joseph's SJU
(7-4-4, 3-2-2)
1
Final
4
Rhode Island URI
(7-4-4, 5-1-1)
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Saint Joseph's SJU 1 0 1
Rhode Island URI 3 1 4

Game Recap: Women's Soccer |

Merkel, Rams Blast Saint Joseph's, 4-1

Rhode Island (7-4-4, 5-1-1 A10)
Starters: Name, MacDonald, Rosenfeld, Merkel, Poon, Camacho, Jacobs, White, Steinbach, O'Neill, Eden (GK)
Substitutes: Rice, Morgan, Hines, Houtz, Shannon

Saint Josepeh's (7-3-4, 3-2-2 A10)
Starters: Nardone, Mancini, Leal, Muro, Parotte, Benzing, Savage, D'Ottaviano, Salais, G., Fischer, Lebo (GK)
Substitutes: Shehadi, Rhodes, Kozak, Anderson, Salais, P.

Scoring Summary
1:37 - URI - Merkel (Rosenfeld, Steinbach)
19:07 - URI - MacDonald (Poon)
26:54 - SJU - Fisher (unassisted)
42:02 - URI - Steinbach (Rice)
49:57 - URI - Merkel (Rice)

How it Happened 
Molly Merkel scored twice to lead an explosive Rhode Island offense as the Rams dominated Saint Joseph's 4-1 Saturday afternoon. The victory extended Rhode Island's unbeaten streak to six matches, which is tied for the fourth longest run for the program over the last 36 seasons.

Merkel got Rhody on the board less than two minutes into the match when she finished a pretty 1-2-3 combination off passes from Megan Steinbach and Jill Rosenfeld. Steinbach took possession near midfield and sent a pass down the left side to Rosenfeld, who one-timed a cross to Merkel. While stepping to her left, Merkel used the outside of her right foot to sneak a shot past keeper Lauren Lebo for a 1-0 lead.

Lauren MacDonald padded the lead in the 20th minute. Taking a pass from Courtney Poon on the right side of the box, MacDonald beat a defender and fired a shot to the right of Lebo to put the Rams up two.

A free kick from just outside the top of the box by Sarah Fischer rattled the cage and cut the lead to one in the 27th minute, but Steinbach got that one back for Rhode Island just before halftime. In the 43rd minute, she took a pass from Kaia Rice, worked around a defender and lined a shot over Lebo to make the score 3-1.

It was Merkel striking again quickly in the second half that put the game on ice. Just five minutes into the second half, she was fed by Rice, and with a defender on her hip, Merkel charged into the box with the ball and slipped a shot inside the near post to cap the scoring.

Inside the Box Score
  • The four goals were a season high for Rhode Island.
  • The Rams are 4-0-2 in their last six matches. Since 1990, URI has only had three longer unbeaten streaks. It was 10-0-2 over a 12-game stretch in 2005. Rhody had 10-game unbeaten streaks that stretched from 1998 into 1999, and the again from 1999 to 2000.
  • With three games left, Rhode Island is in sole possession of second place, just one point behind Saint Louis, which defeated Richmond Saturday. URI has 16 points. La Salle, which has 13 points, plays Fordham on Sunday.
  • Megan Steinbach had one goal and one assist, giving her nine points on the season (3 goals, 3 assists). In her first three seasons combined, she has two points.
  • This was the first multi-goal game of Molly Merkel's career. She has three goals on the season.
  • Lauren MacDonald has 22 career goals and is tied for seventh place in program history with Dora Larusdottir (2005-07).
Up Next
Rhode Island travels to George Mason on Thursday, Oct. 22 looking to clinch a spot in the Atlantic 10 Championship. The match begins at 6 p.m. on ESPN+.
 
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