UMBC

Midfielder LeAnne Edgar

PHILADELPHIA—The UMBC women’s soccer team (0-2-0) fell to La Salle (3-0-0) Sunday afternoon by a score of 5-0 in the Explorers’ home opener at McCarthy Stadium.

La Salle midfielder Traci DePasquale registered five points in the game on two goals and an assist, and she played a part in each of the hosts’ first three tallies.

The Explorers got on the board late in the 20th minute when midfielder Morgan Golden settled DePasquale’s cross and blasted it into the back of the net. Then in the 33rd minute, defender Ally Kenney set up DePasquale for a 20-yard strike to give La Salle a 2-0 halftime advantage.

Less than two minutes into the second period, the same pair teamed up again for the Explorers third goal of the game. UMBC sophomore goalie Mo Van Vlerah (Ijamsville, Md./Northwest) stopped DePasquale’s initial shot, but she could not control it and DePasquale knocked in the rebound.

In the 59th minute, midfielder Kierstyn Mabey converted a pass from midfielder Sara Copare to put La Salle on top, 4-0. Midfielder Lauren Cittadino finished the Explorers’ scoring with less than seven minutes left in the contest on an assist from Golden.

The Retrievers had a pair of scoring chances in the first half – a 30-yard strike by freshman forward Rachel McKee (Ellicott City, Md./Mount Hebron) and a free kick by sophomore midfielder LeAnne Edgar (Mechanicsville, Md./Chopticon) – by La Salle goalie Melissa Sanger made the stops.

Van Vlerah finished with four saves on the afternoon, while Sanger recorded three.

The Explorers outshot the Retrievers, 19-4, and held a 4-0 advantage on corner kicks.

The Retrievers return to action on Wednesday, Sept. 2, when they face Bucknell at 7 p.m. in Lewisburg, Pa.