September 4, 2015
Thomas leads Grove City past Franciscan in home opener
GROVE CITY, Pa. -- Senior forward Kristin Thomas (Ellicott City, Md./Chapelgate Christian) found the back of the net twice and junior defender Jordyn White (Mars, Pa./Mars) added a penalty kick goal as the Grove City College women's soccer team earned a 3-1 victory over Franciscan in their home opener at College Field on Friday afternoon.
Junior forward Ellen Benbow (Ambler, Pa./Wissahickon) and sophomore forward Megan Van Kirk (Allison Park, Pa./North Allegheny) each added assists for the Wolverines while senior goalkeeper Nicole Lapia (Pittsburgh, Pa./Chartiers Valley) stopped four shots to earn her first victory of the season.
After a quiet start to the match that saw few dangerous chances either for either side, Grove City (1-0-1) would strike first, as Benbow carried the ball down the middle of the field and played a ball ahead on the right side to Thomas, who finished to the right of the goalkeeper to give the Wolverines a 1-0 lead in the 30th minute.
Grove City would double its lead in the 42nd minute, when Franciscan (0-1) was whistled for a foul inside the 18-yard box. White calmly converted the penalty kick for her first goal of the season for a 2-0 advantage, which the Wolverines would carry into the halftime break.
The Lady Barons quickly cut the Grove City lead in half early in the second period, as Elizabeth Krillich made the most of a free kick just outside of the left edge of the 18-yard box by putting a ball over Lapia into the goal.
The Wolverines would have the answer, however, as Van Kirk found Thomas along the left side of the box in the 79th minute, and Thomas would finish inside the right post for her second goal of the match. From there, the Grove City defense would keep Franciscan off the board and hold on for the victory.
Grove City outshot the Lady Barons 19-10, including an 11-5 advantage on goal. Sarah Leubking made eight saves for Franciscan.
The Wolverines (1-0-1) return to action tomorrow afternoon at 2 p.m., hosting Marietta in the first half of a men's-women's doubleheader at College Field.
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