Women's Soccer Cruises Past Hood 2-0

(box score) / (video highlights)

Widener moved into a tie for second place in the Commonwealth Conference with a 2-0 win over Hood at Leslie C. Quick Jr. Stadium on Tuesday night.

Off to its best start in program history, Widener (13-1-1, 3-1 CC) led in all offensive categories over the Blazers. The Pride took 17 shots and received nine corner kicks in the 90 minutes of play.

Only 20 minutes into the game senior Karen Thomas (Mullica Hill, NJ) netted her league-leading 15th goal of the season. The play started when junior Casey Pelican (Edison, NJ) stole the ball away from a defender and made a 30 yard pass in between two Hood defenders to the left side of the field. The ball hit Thomas in stride, where she took two dribbles and shot the ball into the bottom right corner of the goal.

Thomas has scored seven goals in her last five games and now ranks fourth in program history in both goals in a season (15) and points in a season (36).

The Pride defense was tested in the 78th minute when senior Valarie Perretti (Clayton, NJ) made a game saving play when Hood's Brooke Cipolla headed a loose ball towards the Widener net. Perretti jumped up and punched the ball above the net a split second before the ball crossed the goal line. Perretti finished with three saves to manage her program-leading 10th shutout of the season.

It was Widener's 11th shutout of the season, which ties the school record accomplished in 2008.

The Pride secured the win in the 87th minute off a corner kick taken by junior Jenna Pedrick (Sicklerville, NJ). Pedrick crossed the ball into the box where the ball was deflected by multiple players. Eventually, Thomas got a foot on it and drove the ball into the body of Blazer's goalkeeper Leah Norris. The ball bounced back on the ground where senior Kelly Buckley (Villanova, PA) tapped the ball in for her sixth goal of the season.

"I was real happy with the way we came out in the second half," Widener coach Brian Sheehan said. "Hood was a well-coached team and we had to step up our game to have the positive result."

Widener will next take on Arcadia at 5:00 pm on Saturday as part of Homecoming weekend.

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