HAMILTON, N.Y. (10/22/2006)—Colgate University freshman Jessica Bitsack (Mendham, N.J.) scored a pair of goals and had a hand in another to lead the Raiders to a crucial 3-0 victory over Army in Patriot League soccer action on Oct. 22. The victory puts Colgate one step closer to the Patriot League Tournament on Nov. 3-5.

 

Colgate improves to 11-5 overall and 3-3 in conference play with the shutout victory. Army falls to 4-11-2 and 0-4-2 against league opponents.

 

The Black Knights controlled the run of play in the early going, but the Raiders weathered the Army attack and started to find their rhythm about 15 minutes into the session.

 

Colgate struck first in the 30th minute when senior Kelly Niland (Syracuse, N.Y.) found junior Franny Iacuzzi (Evanston, Ill.) on the right flank. Iacuzzi beat her defender to the endline and served a perfectly flighted pass to an oncoming Bitsack who headed it past Army keeper Rebecca Garcia for the 1-0 lead.  

 

Just over seven minutes later it was Bitsack again getting in behind the Black Knight defense and drawing a foul in the penalty box. Niland stepped up to the 12-yard spot for the penalty kick and slid it past Garcia into the lower left corner of the net to give Colgate a 2-0 cushion at the break.

 

Army got its best chance of the match seven minutes into the second period as junior keeper Carly Sousa (Darien, Conn.) dove to her right and tipped a driven shot from Army’s Elizabeth Betterbed over the crossbar.

 

Bitsack put the game out of reach for Colgate at 64:12 when she fired home a rebound off an initial save by Army goalie Brittany Fearnside. Bitsack pushed her season totals to four goals, four assists, and 12 points with the four-point afternoon.

 

The Black Knights had a slight 15-14 advantage in overall shots, but Colgate had eight shots on goal to Army’s seven. Colgate won the corner kick battle 7-6.

 

Sousa made five stops in 69 minutes of action to help the Raiders post their fourth shutout of the season. Freshman goalie Carrie Glass (Alpharetta, Ga.) made two saves in her career debut. Garcia and Fearnside combined for five saves on the afternoon for the Black Knights.

 

Colgate closes out regular season play on Oct. 28, traveling to American for a crucial Patriot League match. The winner of the game will earn one of the two final spots in the league tournament on Nov. 3-5. Bucknell and Navy both have already clinched berths.