Heather Dean's goal in the first half proved to be the difference in the Ducks' 2-0 win over Haverford. |
HOBOKEN, N.J. (September 10, 2006) – Junior forward/back Sara Roeder (Portland, Ore.) tallied a goal and an assist as the Stevens Institute of Technology women’s soccer team captured its third straight Stevens Engineering Cup title with a 2-0 victory over Haverford College on Sunday afternoon at DeBaun Field in Hoboken, N.J. Earlier in the day, Elizabethtown College claimed a 2-0 win over Smith College as sophomore forward Brooke Dotterer (Spring City, Pa.) tallied both goals for the Blue Jays.
With a scoreless tie and subsequent 5-3 edge in penalty kicks against Elizabethtown (2-0-1) on Saturday plus its victory over Haverford on Sunday, Stevens (1-1-2) earned first place in the tournament with a two-day total of 11 points. Elizabethtown finished in second place with 10 points. Smith (1-1), which defeated Haverford 1-0 on Saturday, took home third place with seven points. Haverford (1-2-1) was fourth with zero points.
Roeder was named the Offensive Most Valuable Player of the tournament following her three-point performance in the clinching win for Stevens. Sophomore midfielder/back/forward Salme Cook (Fairfax, Va.) took home Defensive Most Valuable Player honors as the backbone of a Ducks’ defense that allowed no goals and just 14 shots in two games during the Engineering Cup.
“This weekend was good for us,” head coach Jeff Parker (San Antonio, Texas) said. “It was a very challenging field in the tournament, perhaps as good as it has ever been, and we had some very solid performances in the matches. We are still looking to improve, but we are definitely a better team after this tournament.”
In the game against Haverford, the Ducks jumped on top less than 15 minutes into the game as senior back/forward Heather Dean (Renton, Wash.) headed home a pass into the box off a free kick from Roeder. Dean’s goal snapped a 250-minute scoreless streak for Stevens as the Ducks had not scored since Roeder’s second-half goal in the season-opener at Ohio Northern University on September 2. Since then, Stevens played back-to-back scoreless ties against Otterbein College and Elizabethtown.
The Ducks controlled play in the second half as they out-shot the Fords 11-2. Roeder put the game away for good in the final minute of regulation as she banged a shot off the left post and then beat several Haverford defenders to the loose ball in the box before scoring into an empty net. Sophomore goalkeeper Lindsay Festa (Old Field, N.Y.) was unable to corral the rebound after lunging for Roeder’s initial shot.
Senior goalkeeper Erica Midttveit (Jackson, N.J.) picked up the win for the Ducks as she made three saves in the contest. Festa finished with seven saves for the Fords. For the game, Stevens out-shot Haverford 17-6.
After allowing five goals in the first 83 minutes of the match against Ohio Northern, the Ducks’ defense has tightened up considerably as Stevens has not allowed a goal in the last 316:36 of game action.
The Ducks return to action on Wednesday when they take on Montclair State University at 8 p.m. in Montclair, N.J.
