SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Sophomore Erin Simon’s (Oakhurst, N.J.) first career hat trick and a strong defensive effort led the Syracuse women’s soccer team to a 4-0 victory against Albany on Friday, August 30 at the SU Soccer Stadium. With the three goals, Simon tied the school record for goals in a game.

“I couldn’t have done it without my teammates,” Simon said of her performance. “They made great passes and made it easy for me. I just had to slip it past the goalie and had to finish the opportunities they gave me. They put in the hard work in for me to complete the opportunities.”

Simon becomes just the third player in school history to score three goals in a game, joining Jaime Mingoia (1996-99) and Erin O’Grady (1997-00). O’Grady accomplished the feat four times, while Mingoia did it twice. Simon has posted at least one point in every game this season and has four goals in the first three games, equaling her total from all of last season.

The Orange (2-1) controlled possession and the tempo for nearly the entire game. Syracuse didn’t allow an Albany shot until the 64th minute and outshot the Great Danes (1-2), 20-4. The Orange earned five corner kicks while not allowing any for the Great Danes. SU senior goalkeeper Brittany Anghel (East Meadow, N.Y.) posted one save and recorded her 19th career shutout. She is now just one shy of the school career record of 20 set by Eliza Bennett-Hattan (2006-09).

Syracuse applied offensive pressure from the opening kick, but couldn’t connect on its passes in the box in the first half. The Orange finally broke through in the 29th minute. Simon took a pass on the left side of the box, made a move around a defender and put her shot in the left corner of the goal. SU continued to generate scoring chances but couldn’t convert and led 1-0 at halftime.

The second half started much like the first as Syracuse continued to be the more dangerous team. Simon increased the Orange’s lead in the 56th minute when she collected a pass from freshman Blake Johnson (Atlanta, Ga.) and took the ball down the middle of the box and put her shot past Albany goalkeeper Dani Britt. The Orange added to the lead in the 71st minute. Sophomore Taylor Haenlin (Lowville, N.Y.) served the ball into the box to freshman Stephanie Skilton (Auckland, New Zealand), who headed the ball into the back of the net for her second goal of the year.

Albany’s best scoring chance came in the 70th minute, but a Syracuse defender knocked away Allison Carhart’s shot toward an empty net to preserve the 3-0 lead. Simon put the finishing touch on the victory 10 minutes later. Freshman Jenny Olensky’s (Short Hills, N.J.) shot went off the post and bounced to Simon, who found the back of the net for the third time.

“I thought we were sluggish in the first half,” head coach Phil Wheddon said. “We scored one goal but I thought we could have had three or four more. The quality of the passing was not good. At halftime I encouraged the players to control the ball better and move the ball quicker. I thought we did that in the second half.”

The Orange is back in action on Sunday, Sept. 1 at 7 p.m. when it hosts Central New York foe Colgate. The game will be televised live on Time Warner Cable Sports Channel. Admission to the game is free.

AGATE
  1st 2nd Final
Syracuse 1 3 4
Albany  0 0 0

Scoring
29:07 SU Erin Simon
56:37 SU Erin Simon (Blake Johnson)
71:42 SU Stephanie Skilton (Taylor Haenlin)
81:39 SU Erin Simon (Jenny Olensky)

Shots: Syracuse 20, Albany 4
Corner Kicks: Syracuse 5, Albany 0
Saves: Syracuse 1 (Brittany Anghel), Albany 3 (Dani Britt)

Attendance: 723

-- SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY: NEW YORK’S COLLEGE TEAM --