TOWSON, Md. – Junior forward Cheyenne Skidmore recorded three assists for the second straight game as the Tigers (7-7-0, 2-4-0) earned their second win in a row, a 3-1 Colonial Athletic Association victory over Northeastern University (7-6-1, 3-2-1) at the Tiger Soccer Complex on Sunday afternoon.
The Tigers' leading scorer with five goals and nine assists, Skidmore has been credited with an assist in each of the Tigers' last six goals.
“We came out today and got an early goal, which is something we haven't been able to do recently,” Towson Coach Greg Paynter said. “It really helps our confidence and our energy when we are able to score early.
“Our seniors have really led us recently and you see what their leadership did for us this weekend,” Paynter added. “They want to make sure that we reach the conference tournament and want to do whatever is possible to do that.”
The Tigers took a quick 1-0 lead just over two minutes into the first half when Skidmore found sophomore forward Emily Banes in the middle of the penalty area. Banes fired a shot past freshman goalkeeper Paige Burnett for her seventh goal of the season.
Towson extended its advantage to 2-0 in a similar fashion to open the second half when freshman forward Sofia Read tallied her fourth goal of the season off a corner kick play. Skidmore and senior midfielder Courtney McKee were credited with the assists.
Just over 10 minutes later, the Huskies trimmed the deficit to 3-1 when senior forward Veronica Napoli scored her team-leading seventh goal of the season on a shot from the top of the penalty area.
But, the Tigers answered with 7:19 left when Skidmore sent a crossing pass to McKee, who scored her third goal of the season on a one-on-one situation with Burnett.
While Skidmore posted three assists to lead the Tigers, McKee scored a goal and an assist as Towson outshot Northeastern by a 13-11 margin. Senior goalkeeper Jocelyn Papciak made three saves.
Burnett made one save in a losing effort for the Huskies, who are 1-2-1 in their last four games.
The Tigers will begin a quick two-game road trip on Friday night when they travel to Georgia State for a 7 p.m. game against the Panthers. Meanwhile, Northeastern will host Old Dominion on Friday night at 6 p.m.
College Women's Soccer: Towson University 3, Northeastern University 1
Northeastern (7-6-1, 3-2-1) 0-1 / 1
Towson (7-7-0, 2-4-0) 1-2 / 3
Goals: NU – Veronica Napoli 1 (57:15); TOW – Emily Banes 1 (2:08), Sofia Read 1 (47:12), Courtney McKee 1 (82:41). Assists: NU – n/a; TOW – Cheyenne Skidmore 3, Courtney McKee 1. Saves: NU – Paige Burnett 1 (90:00, 3 goals allowed); TOW – Jocelyn Papciak 3 (90:00, 1 goals allowed). Shots: NU – 11; TOW – 13. Corner Kicks: NU – 7; TOW – 6. Attendance: 285.
Game Notes: The Tigers earned their second straight win over the Huskies on Sunday afternoon and now hold an 8-3-1 all-time series lead … After being held to just two goals during their five-game losing streak, the Tigers have exploded for six goals in their last two outings … The Tigers earned back-to-back wins for the first time since a three-game win streak from Sept. 9 to Sept. 16 … Banes scored her first goal since Sept. 16 at Campbell when she had two goals in a 2-1 overtime victory … In addition, she became the 15th player in school history to score 10 goals in her career … Banes is also tied for 15th in school history with 27 career points … With her three assists on Sunday, Skidmore moved into sole possession of third place on the Tigers' career assist list … She now has 19 career assists … In addition, Skidmore moved past Shannon Jackson (2001-05) into seventh place on the Tigers' career points list with 39 career points … Skidmore also moved into second place on the Tigers' all-time single-season assist list with her nine assists, which also leads the CAA … She needs just two assists to tie the record of 11, which was set by Jackson during the 2004 season … In addition, Skidmore also moved into a tie for fifth place on the Tigers' single-season points list and now has 19 points this season … McKee entered this weekend with just two goals in 71 career games, but she scored three times and added an assist in the Tigers' two wins this weekend … Napoli scored the 33rd goal of her college career, extending her own school record … The Tigers are now 5-1 this season when scoring first … Towson is now 4-2 at home this year and has outscored its opponents by a 14-9 margin at the Tiger Soccer Complex.
