Men’s tennis

Women’s soccer goes streaking

Often as one streak ends, another begins.

So it was on Sunday, as the Muhlenberg women’s soccer team snapped Penn State Altoona’s 23-game regular-season unbeaten streak and kept a few streaks of its own going in a 3-0 victory.

Freshman Maggie Neary has started all three games at back during the Mules’ scoreless streak.

One is the Mules’ own winning streak. Muhlenberg has now won three straight games, a feat it accomplished just once last season, when the Mules won five straight to open the season.

Not only has Muhlenberg won three straight games, but it has also posted three straight shutouts. The Mules’ scoreless streak is now at 276:33, their best mark since 2006.

“Every game is important,” said senior Jennifer Lynch. “It’s awesome that we ended their streak, but we’re just focused on us.”

With the game being pushed back to Sunday because of inclement weather on Thursday and Friday, the Mules had the added advantage of having extra time to prepare while the Lions had to play Saturday night against DeSales.

“We had two really focused practices over the last two days,” said Lynch. “The postponement just gave us more time to get ready.”

Focus was key on all three of the Mules’ goals. Lynch started the scoring 14:07 into the first half, when she found the ball at the top left of the 18-yard box and struck a perfect shot into the right corner.

Sophomore Nicolette Miller scored roughly 18 minutes later when she scooped up a loose ball in front of the net on a corner kick and blasted it home, making it 2-0 Mules.

Muhlenberg put the game away early in the second half, when senior Kimberly Hacker scored on a bang-bang play. Sophomore Meghan O’Grady sent a perfect cross from the left to junior Valerie Patriarca, who touched it directly to Hacker for an easy finish.

“We’re really excited and pumped to play right now,” said Lynch. “We’re learning to communicate better and it’s really come through in the past few games.”

The Mules will need that improved communication for their next game, as they take on No. 1 Messiah at home on Wednesday night in their final tuneup before conference play begins.

“We’ve played Messiah hard in the past but this group has never beaten them,” said Lynch. “We’re really looking forward to it this season and we think we’re prepared.”
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