WASHINGTON – No. 2 Dayton took down No. 3 La Salle, 3-1, on Baujan Field Wednesday night. Dayton will advance to the finals of the Betterment #A10WSOC Tournament.
A match between two of the better offenses in the conference was expected to be a showdown, and it did not disappoint. The game opened with fireworks, as La Salle got on the board very early with a goal on a corner kick in the 2nd minute.
Dayton would not be deterred, answering back with a goal of their own just eight minutes later, when Laney Smith found a soft spot in the Explorers defense and squeezed the pass beyond the La Salle netminder.
Dayton continued to press the gas, culminating in a drawn penalty kick after La Salle was called for contact in the box. Newly minted Midfielder of the Year Liv Grenda took the free try, sinking it in the center of the net for the would-be game-winner.
As the second half kicked off, the elements began to make a mark on the game. Heavy rain rolled in, making La Salle’s comeback efforts more difficult. La Salle made the necessary effort, nearly doubling its first half shot attempts from five to nine. But Dayton held firm, even adding a goal to seal this one, 3-1.
Dayton will face the winner of No. 1 Saint Louis and No. 5 Rhode Island in the Atlantic 10 women’s soccer tournament finals.