WOMEN'S SOCCER TOPS NORTHEASTERN 3-1

Sunday, September 26

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1:00 p.m.

James Madison University

5-5-0, 1-1-0CAA

Northeastern

6-3-0, 1-1-0CAA

Northeastern

James Madison

9/26/2010 7:22:00 PM | Women's Soccer

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HARRISONBURG, Va., Sept. 26, 2010 - James Madison senior Teresa Rynier (Leola, Pa./Conestoga Valley) scored two second-half goals to help boost the Dukes' women's soccer team to a 3-1 victory over Northeastern on a drizzly Sunday afternoon at the JMU Soccer Complex.

In a re-match of last year's Colonial Athletic Association semifinals, JMU topped the Huskies by the same score of that game, played on Northeastern's home field last November.

JMU evened its overall record at 5-5-0 and its conference mark at 1-1-0. The Huskies, who saw their three-game winning streak end, have a 6-3-0 overall record and are 1-1-0 in CAA play.

The Dukes came from behind to win after the Huskies got on the scoreboard in the opening moments of the match. Sophomore Greta Samuelsdottir (Kopavogur, Iceland/Menntaskolinn i Kopavogi) sent a well-placed ball ahead to junior Veronica Napoli (Newport, R.I./Prout), who sprinted into the box with two defenders close behind. She beat redshirt senior goalkeeper Diane Wszalek (West Chester, Pa./West Chester East) with a shot to the left corner from about 10 yards out. The goal came with just 1:09 elapsed.

JMU tied the game in the 17th minute on a play that started when senior Cate Tisinger (Clifton, Va./Centreville) served the ball from the left side of the field that landed in the box just a few yards from the goal line. Two JMU players and a Northeastern player collided going for the ball, and redshirt sophomore Megan Fessler (Lancaster, Pa./Lancaster Catholic) controlled the ball and netted a goal on a shot from close range.

The Dukes had an opportunity to take the lead just before halftime, but Huskies' sophomore goalkeeper Michelle Sopko (Glenmoore, Pa./Coatesville) leapt to punch a high shot by sophomore Katie Menzie (Chantilly, Va./Chantilly) over the crossbar.

JMU went ahead 2-1 just 2:05 into the second half when a penalty kick was assessed after a Northeastern foul in the box. Rynier's shot went to just to Sopko's right as the keeper dived to her left.

Wszalek and the Dukes' defense were able to keep the Huskies off the scoreboard the rest of the way, although Northeastern had a number of quality chances, including four threatening shots by Samuelsdottir. Wszalek made a leaping save on Samuelsdottir's free kick from 25 yards out in the 57th minute, and another Samuelsdottir shot from outside the box was just wide of the goal in the 74th minute. She hit a strong, low shot in the 77th minute that Wszalek saved, and Wszalek stopped another Samuelsdottir shot in the 83rd minute.

Rynier added an insurance goal in the closing minutes as she controlled a ball that was cleared by the Huskies' defense. She dribbled to the edge of the box and scored on a shot to the right corner with 2:53 on the clock.

JMU held a slight advantage on shots, 16-13. Wszalek finished with four saves, and Sopko had five stops.

"It was the first time this season we played a full 90 minutes of hard, intense and technical soccer," JMU head coach Dave Lombardo said. "We created a lot of very good chances, we put them under a lot of pressure and we were able to play the kind of game we're capable of playing. I told (the team) this is our standard, this is what we should be able to bring every game.

"Samuelsdottir, her left foot is an absolute cannon, and every time she took a shot I was holding my breath today. Diane did a really nice job on the free kick, to turn that away. Veronia Napoli -- her speed and her ability to finish you saw in the first minute of the game. They're a very dangerous team.

"(Freshman) Beck