The women’s soccer team defeated St. Joseph’s College 1-0 on Tuesday, Oct. 21, in Patchogue, New York, improving its record to 10-4. With this win, the Violets were able to get back on track after losing their last game against Carnegie Mellon University.

The game remained scoreless after the first half, but not because of a lack of scoring opportunities for the Violets. They took 14 shots, compared to only one shot from the Eagles, but could not break through. The Violets maintained a majority of possession and had scoring opportunities from freshman forward Teressa Fazio and junior midfielder Lexi Clarke in the first few minutes of the game.

The Violets were finally able to break through in the 69th minute, scoring the first and only goal of the game off the boot of junior forward Melissa Menta. That one goal would prove enough to win, as the Eagles were never allowed another shot on goal in the second half.

“The conditions were not ideal, so that made it more difficult to get a result, but Menta did a great job staying composed,” senior forward Cami Crawford said.

The game was the seventh shutout of the season for sophomore goalkeeper Cassie Steinberg. The Violets’ defense only allowed one shot in the entire game, which allowed the offense to keep pushing forward and led to the Violets taking 21 total shots. The Violets ended the contest with 13 shots on goal while the Eagles did not have one. The offensive pressure and possession gave the Violets the edge, and although it was a one score game, the Violets’ defense was dominant.

“We have a really solid back line with a lot of discipline,” Crawford said. “They did a great job keeping the ball on the offensive side of the field.”

The Eagles, 5-10-2, have struggled for most of the season. The Eagles’ goalkeeper Katie McGarrell was able to record 12 saves, but her effort was in vain as St. Joseph’s offense never picked up against the staunch Violet defense.

The Violets recorded their 10th win and have improved compared to last year’s campaign, but they are not becoming complacent in their effort.

“There’s always room for improvement, and it’s difficult to feel satisfied,” Crawford said. “We’re pushing each other to be better every day, and we expect to continue to improve until the end of the season. We’re really excited for every game.”

The Violets will be back in action this Saturday, Oct. 25, for the annual Alumnae Game at Gaelic Park. They resume conference play on Oct. 31 against University of Chicago in Illinois and then travel to Missouri to play against Washington University  in St. Louis on Nov. 2.

A version of this article appeared in the Thursday, Oct. 23 print edition. Email Kyle Luther at [email protected].