TOWSON, Md. – Freshman forward Sofia Read and junior forward Cheyenne Skidmore each scored a goal as the Tigers (1-0-0) earned a 2-0 non-conference victory over Loyola University Maryland (0-1-0) in the season opener for both teams at the Tiger Soccer Complex on Saturday evening.
It marked the Tigers' first-ever win over the Greyhounds in 12 all-time meetings.
“It's great to get the season started with a win,” Towson Coach Greg Paynter said. “We played very well and I thought the girls had a lot of energy. They executed the game plan very well. We are really excited about how we played today and what we have to work towards this season.”
Read gave the Tigers a quick 1-0 lead in the 13th minute when she took a crossing pass from senior midfielder Courtney McKee and scored the first goal of her career.
With 28:53 remaining in the second half, the Tigers upped the advantage to 2-0 when Skidmore received a pass from sophomore defender Alex Evitts and scored on a low shot from 12 yards.
From there, senior goalkeeper Jocelyn Papciak and the Tiger defense limited the Greyhounds to just one shot over the final 28 minutes to earn the shutout.
Papciak made three saves to earn the ninth shutout of her college career while Loyola sophomore goalkeeper Didi Harcic posted two saves.
Each team had 10 shots and six corner kicks in the game.
The Tigers will begin a two-game road trip on Friday afternoon when they travel to Georgetown for a 3 p.m. game against the Hoyas. Meanwhile, Loyola will host fifth-ranked Maryland on Monday night at the Ridley Athletic Complex.
College Women's Soccer: Towson University 2, Loyola University Maryland 0
Loyola (0-1-0) 0-0 / 0
Towson (1-0-0) 1-1 / 2
Goals: LOY – n/a; TOW – Sofia Read 1 (12:14), Cheyenne Skidmore 1 (61:07). Assists: LOY – n/a; TOW – Courtney McKee 1, Alex Evitts 1. Saves: LOY – Didi Haracic 2 (90:00, 2 goals allowed), TEAM 1; TOW – Jocelyn Papciak 3 (90:00, 0 goals allowed), TEAM 1. Shots: LOY – 10; TOW – 10. Corner Kicks: LOY – 6; TOW – 6. Attendance: 612.
Post-Game Notes:
• Saturday's game marked the first regular season competition for any Towson team.
• The Tigers improved to 9-9-2 all-time in season openers … In addition, they are now 12-8 in home openers.
• The Tigers have won six of their last seven home openers.
• Loyola had won four straight meetings against the Tigers prior to Saturday's game … The Greyhounds had a 10-0-1 all-time mark against Towson.
• Saturday's game marked the earliest start to a season in Tiger women's soccer history … The previous record was last year when the Tigers opened the season on August 21.
• The Tigers snapped a five-game losing streak, dating back to last season … Prior to Saturday, their last victory came on October 10, 2010, a 2-1 victory at Northeastern.
