St. John’s Women’s Soccer off to 2-0 start

The post-Rachel Daly era for the St. John’s Women’s soccer team is off to a roaring start. While the greatest player in St. John’s history is dominating the National Women’s Soccer League with the Houston Dash, the current Red Storm is 2-0 on the young season with wins over Central Connecticut State University and the University of Albany.

The 2016-17 college sports season officially started on Friday as many women’s soccer games were played, including the Red Storm facing the Blue Devils of CCSU. The game was scoreless through regulation, but in the 97^th minute, junior Mariela Jacome found Alexis Urbanski at the top left of the box. The graduate student fired the ball to the far post and scored her first goal in her Johnnies career after transferring from Seton Hall a couple years ago.

St. John’s was in control the whole game, as they had 20 shots compared to eight shots by CCSU and seven corner kicks to CCSU’s five.

Senior goalkeeper Diana Poulin recorded her 21^st career shutout and 33^rd career overall victory, which now puts her number one the all-time list in wins by a goalkeeper at St. John’s.

In the second game of the weekend, the Red Storm breezed by defending America East champion Albany 3-0 with goals by a trio of sophomores. Anna Maria Baldursdottir and Samie Scaffidi each scored their first career goals, while Christina Bellero, who was the second-leading goal scorer on the team last season, also found the back of the net.

In the 24^th minute, Urbanski took a corner kick and sent it to Baldursdottir who scored a nifty goal off the back of her right foot to give the Johnnies the early lead.

Scaffidi scored her goal in the 47^th minute off a defensive miscue by the Albany player who couldn’t handle the goal kick. The ball bounced away from her and went right to Scaffidi with just the goalie between her and the net.

Bellero put the game away in the 78^th minute on a brilliant individual effort. She stole the ball and weaved her way through three defenders before scoring.

Diana Poulin needed to register just one save to get her 22^nd career shutout and 34^th career victory extending her all-time record.

For her goal and defensive efforts in two shutouts, Alexis Urbanski was named Big East Defensive Player of the Week.

St. John’s goes on the road for the first time this season this Friday as they head to Baltimore to face Towson at 4 p.m.