BOCA RATON, Fla. – (Sept. 6, 2019) – Pernile Velta’s goal with just under 20 minutes to go propelled the Florida Atlantic University women’s soccer team to a 1-0 victory Friday night over Dartmouth and gave goalkeeper Cassidy Wasdin the first clean sheet of her career.
The Turning Point:
The two teams went into the half tied, and the Owls (3-2-0) came out on the offensive after the break. The game-winner was buoyed by the stellar ballhandling skills of Miracle Porter, who dribbled around multiple defenders before her pass to Velta. The senior forward had had a couple of looks earlier, but made good on this one, rocketing it to the top left corner and past the outstretched arms of the Dartmouth (2-1-0) keeper.
The Finish:
From there, the Big Green was able to get off only one more shot attempt, and in fact, had just two in the match (both coming in the second half). It was wide; the first was gobbled up by Wasdin for her only save of the match.
Notables:
· Velta notched her third goal of the season to tie for the team lead. She now has a dozen goals in her career and is one shy of a season high
· Porter recorded her first assist this season and third of her career
· Wasdin picked up her third victory, and again, first shutout
· She was one of five Owls to stay on for the full 90 despite a hot night necessitating mandatory water breaks. The others were Hailey Landrus, Alex Maxson, Jessica Monteiro and Carolynn Wotring
· The defense held the Big Green to just those two shot attempts while the Owls had 12. FAU also had all six corner kicks in the match
Quotable:
“Going into halftime, 0-0, it just felt like it was that type of game,” said head coach Patrick Baker. “A 45-minute game, game’s in the balance, first goal is probably the crucial goal and might win it. We were fortunate to get one in. It was a great set-up by Miracle (Porter), what a phenomenal run, and then good composure by ‘P’ (Pernille Velta).”
What’s Next:
The homestand continues Sunday against North Florida, a 1 p.m. kickoff at FAU Soccer Stadium.
– FAUSports.com –
Florida Atlantic University Athletics:
FAU Athletics is comprised of 21 intercollegiate teams involving 450 student-athletes that compete in baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, tennis, indoor and outdoor track, volleyball, beach volleyball, cheer and dance. The Owls are a NCAA Division I-A (FBS) institution and compete in Conference USA and the Coastal Collegiate Sports Association (CCSA) (beach volleyball, men’s swimming). The Owls have been playing football since 2001 and are a perfect 3-0 in bowl games, the most recent being a 50-3 victory over Akron in the 2017 Cheribundi Tart Cherry Boca Raton Bowl. The dance team finished its 2014 season No. 8, nationally. FAU cheer won a national championship in 2016.
About Florida Atlantic University:
Florida Atlantic University, established in 1961, officially opened its doors in 1964 as the fifth public university in Florida. Today, the University, with an annual economic impact of $6.3 billion, serves more than 30,000 undergraduate and graduate students at sites throughout its six county service region in southeast Florida. FAU’s world-class teaching and research faculty serves students through 10 colleges: the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, the College of Business, the College for Design and Social Inquiry, the College of Education, the College of Engineering and Computer Science, the Graduate College, the Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, the Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing and the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science. FAU is ranked as a High Research Activity institution by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The University is placing special focus on the rapid development of critical areas that form the basis of its strategic plan: Healthy aging, biotech, coastal and marine issues, neuroscience, regenerative medicine, informatics, lifespan and the environment. These areas provide opportunities for faculty and students to build upon FAU’s existing strengths in research and scholarship. For more information, visit www.fau.edu.
