The Catholic University women are off to a 3-0 Landmark Conference start, 9-1-2 overall. The Cardinals eleven recently made history with a 4-2 win at Moravian.
The Cardinals had never defeated Moravian on the road. Catholic pulled off the big win with three second half goals from Nia Gomez, Lindsay Aleman, and Kristen Wosleger.
Both Aleman and Wosleger played reserve roles last season. This year the tandem are the CU stalwarts. Aleman, a sophomore forward, is the team leader in goals scored, finding the back of the net eight times. Wosleger, a junior midfielder, has four goals and five assists on the year.
The Cardinals are picked to finish fourth in the Landmark this year behind newcomer Elizabethtown, Scranton, and Drew. So, the 1-0 conference opening win over Elizabethtown was a bit of a statement game. It was a Wosleger run and pass that set up Alyssa Fiore with the game-winner that the sophomore midfielder buried into the center of the net.
That victory was followed by another messing sending, dominating 4-0 win over BR-170 Drew on October 11. It was Wosleger leading the way again, scoring and setting up a goal. The Cardinals outshot drew 23-4., with 16 of those shots and a pair of goals coming in the first half.
The first half scorers were Jennifer Delasco and Wosleger. The latter scored on a blast from 25-yards out, following some skillful dribbling.
In the second half, Drew changed keepers but the Cardinal dominance continued. A Wosleger back angle pass was finished by off by Gomez to make it 3-0 in the 58th minute. Frosh midfielder Andrea Jablonskyj finished the scoring in the game’s dying moments with a blast into the upper corner of the Drew goal.
Head coach J.O. Sousa has a solid goalkeeper to rely on in the form of junior Lexi Halperin. The River Vale, N.J. native was a First team All-Landmark selection as a frosh, and second team all-conference last season after posting a 0.89 goals against average. This year, Halperin has been forced to save 40 shots on goal, and has earned seven shutouts, while dropping her goals against average down to 0.56.
At times this year, Halperin has been tested, but against Drew she faced only one shot.
The Cardinal can also call on a little international experience, but not from a player. Assistant coach Taylor Mims, Seton Hall grad, plays for Trinidad and Tobago National Team.
Up next for Catholic, a conference clash with Goucher and an October 18 date with Scranton at home.
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