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ST. BONAVENTURE, N.Y. – The St. Bonaventure women's soccer team (3-6-1) opens the lid on its 2012 Atlantic 10 Conference schedule this weekend with a pair of road games against La Salle on Friday at 7 p.m. and Sunday versus the Fordham Rams at 1 p.m.
The Bonnies, who struggled to an 0-6-1 start to their season, are coming off back-to-back wins last weekend against Little Three rivals Niagara and Canisius to extend their winning streak to three straight. For Bonaventure, it represents the first time the club enters the A-10 slate riding a three-game winning streak since the 2008 campaign.
Much of Bonaventure's recent success can be credited to its relative offensive outburst as it has scored eight goals over the winning streak, including seven in its last two. Prior to the winning streak, SBU had totaled just two goals over its first seven contests. Even more impressive is that four of those seven goals the past two games have been scored by defensive players – with redshirt senior Shannon Van Riper collecting three and junior Jordan Calabria adding the other.
For her efforts last weekend, Van Riper was named A-10 Player of the Week on Monday as she tallied the game-winning goal against the Purple Eagles on Friday and netted the game-tying strike against the Griffs on Sunday. Van Riper now leads the Bona squad with eight points on those four goals, followed by sophomore Brittany Charles with six points courtesy of four assists.
The last time SBU played travel partners La Salle and Fordham was during the 2010 season on the McGraw-Jennings pitch. The Bonnies lost to the Explorers, 2-1, in double overtime, but bounced back to defeat the Rams, 4-2.
Like the Bonnies, La Salle (6-3) is currently on a three-game winning streak. The Explorers have at least 10 players who have scored a goal, with sophomore forward Kelsey Haycook leading the group with seven goals. After opening the season with a 2-1 road win over No. 20 West Virginia, La Salle was ranked No. 22 in the nation, but has since fallen out of the Top-25.
La Salle was an NCAA Tournament at-large selection last year after getting off to a 10-0-1 start to the season before ultimately finishing 15-2-3. Over the 11-game start to their 2011 docket, the Explorers did not allow a single goal. By comparison, La Salle has surrendered 13 goals through its first nine games this year.
Following the match with La Salle in Philadelphia, Bonaventure travels north on Interstate 95 to New York City where it meets a 4-6 Fordham club on Sunday which enters the weekend victors of its last two games. The Rams will first play host to Bonaventure travel partner Duquesne on Friday at 5 p.m.
Following their meeting with the Rams, the Bonnies will have their A-10 home opener against Temple and Saint Joseph's next weekend, Oct. 5 and 7, respectively.
