DeLand, Fla. - The Stetson women's soccer team enjoyed an offensive outburst and a 7-0 shutout of Embry-Riddle Thursday night at the Stetson Soccer Complex. Junior Tessa Gavilsky (Granite City, Ill.) tallied her first career hat trick to lead the Hatter attack.
The scoring began at 9:55 with Gavilsky's first goal. Sophomore Samantha Snyder (Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.) delivered a perfect corner kick deep into the box where Gavilsky redirected with a solid header to the back of the net. Then, with just seven seconds remaining in the first half Crossley Simmons (Winfield, Ill.) and Heather Berg (Ft. Myers Fla.) charged the net with a give-and-go attack that resulted in a Simmons goal, her first of the season.
"We had a lot of good looks at the goal and did a good job of hitting the target", said Stetson Head Coach Julie Orlowski. "We didn't miss many".
Overall Stetson finished the game with 16 shots, 10 of which were on goal. Seven of those crossed the line.
The offensive gained momentum early in the second when Gavilsky scored her second goal at 50:46. She took a cross from Katie Bitetto (Jacksonville, Fla.) and hit the mark from six yards out. Next up it was Bitetto's turn. After pouncing on a through ball from Courtney Jenista (Pensacola, Fla.) she scored from 25 yards; her second goal of the season.
The most impressive goal of the night came off the foot of senior Emily Yero (Orlando, Fla.). Fellow senior Jenny Agranoff (Cape Coral, Fla.) fed a seeing-eye pass through a group of defenders that somehow found Yero who then blasted a rocket shot from 25 yards that kept rising until it found a home on the left side top shelf.
Five minutes later Gavilsky completed her hat trick with a left-footer that deflected off the lower right post and into the goal. That scoring effort was assisted by Natalie Simon (Lauderhill, Fla.) who then completed the seven-goal barrage with her own unassisted tally with a run down the right side in the 83rd minute.
At the other end of the field Andrea Garavaglia (Webster Groves, Mo.) and the Hatters defense registered their second consecutive shutout. Garavaglia faced 10 total shots from the Eagles and made five saves.
"Defensively it is coming together in terms of organization", said Orlowski. "(Christina) Cromwell continues to impress and Corbyons played fantastic. She is getting better and better."
Next up the Hatters will host Florida State on Sunday at 2:00 p.m. at the Stetson Soccer Complex. The Seminoles are currently ranked 5th in the nation by the NSCAA.
