(BALTIMORE) – Halley Shaffer (Jr., Sunbury, Pa. / Line Mountain) scored her 50th career goal after putting two in the net and assisted on another as Wilson downed Notre Dame in the penultimate game of the regular season. Already the career goals and points leader for the Phoenix, Shaffer scored just 3:40 into the contest and a strong supporting cast inundated the Gators' back line en route to the 12th clean sheet of the season.
The Basics
Score: Wilson 5, Notre Dame 0
Venue: Alumnae Field
Records: Wilson 11-3-2, 4-3-0 UE; Notre Dame 2-10-1, 1-5-1 UE
How It Happened
- Shaffer's goal 3:40 into the game was a sign of things to come as Wilson pushed the pedal to the metal for the opening 30. The Blue and White added another 13 thots with Becca Cordell (Jr., Waynesboro, Pa. / Waynesboro) getting in on the action with a goal in the 29th minute on a helper from Annie Smith (So., Hagerstown, Md. / North Hagerstown) passed through the middle inside the box.
- Smith later gave Wilson a 3-0 lead just before the half. As the Gators attempted to clear the ball down the field, Zoie Echols (FY, Harrisburg, Pa. / Central Dauphin) intercepted possession and quickly passed to Smith open in the middle of the field between two defenders. With a wide open lane Smith lasered a shot to the left side for the score.
- A corner kick provided the Phoenix with their next goal which came in the 62nd minute. While it wasn't directly off the set piece, Wilson kept possession on the offensive and it resulted with Julia Elliott (Sr., Annapolis, Md. / Broadneck) scoring from near the top of the box after a pass back from Shaffer.
- Shaffer put the finishing touches on the day after taking control of a downfield pass by the Gators' goalie. About 30 yards out, she took on three Notre Dame defenders up the right center of the field before rolling a shot to the far post. It squeezed in for the 5-0 lead with 15 minutes to play.
Inside The Numbers
- The Phoenix posted up a season-high 40 shots while allowing just one by the Gators. Two dozen were on goal for the Phoenix. It's the third time this season Wilson has registered at least 30 shots.
- Madison Ebersole (FY, Big Pool, Md. / Clear Springs) was in goal and made the stop on the Gators' lone chance in the second half.
- Corner kicks favored Wilson 9-1.
- As of this writing, Wilson sits in seventh place in the United East standings with other games around the league taking place Tuesday evening. The top four seeds get first round byes to the conference tournament quarterfinals while seeds Nos. 5-8 will host a playoff game next week.
Up Next
The Phoenix will conclude the regular season with a trip to Rosemont on Saturday. A win would secure a home playoff game for the first round of the United East Championship. Kickoff with the Ravens is set for 1 p.m.
