HAVERFORD, Pa. – One of the most successful women's soccer programs in NCAA Division III history kept its perfect record against Haverford intact Sunday afternoon as The College of New Jersey knocked off the Fords, 6-0, in the Haverford Kick-Off Classic at historic Walton Field.
The Lions (1-1) scored three first-half goals and added three more in the second half. Perennially one of the country's top women's soccer teams at the Division III level. TCNJ has made 13 Final Four appearances, won national championships in 1993, 1994, and 2000, and finished as the national runner-up in 1996, 1998, 2005, 2006, and 2021.
TCNJ fifth-year forward Emma Pascarella – the reigning New Jersey Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year and a first team all-region selection in 2022 – scored once and added an assist for the Lions. Her goal in the 11th minute of the match – on an assist from fifth-year forward Lindsay O'Keefe – would be the eventual game-winner. O'Keefe – who scored 11 goals last season and was sixth in the NJAC with 26 points – had two assists on the afternoon. TCNJ junior midfielder Victoria D'Imperio – who led the Lions in goals in 2022 with 13 and was a third team all-region selection – had two goals Sunday.
D'Imperio scored in the 13th minute of the first half on an assist from O'Keefe to make it 2-0. Junior defender Ava Curtis closed out the scoring in the first half with an unassisted goal in the 32nd minute of the match. The Lions tacked on three more second-half goals: one by D'Imperio on an assist from Pascarella in the 53rd minute, another from Baylor Bielan at the 67:34 mark, and the final point of the afternoon in the 73rd minute on an unassisted goal by Sophia Vieira.
TCNJ outshot Haverford 24-11 overall, including 12-6 in shots on goal. Norman played the first 72 minutes of the match and saved all five shots that came her way, while Bynum worked the final 18 minutes and stopped the only shot she faced. For Haverford (0-2), sophomore defender Abigale Baker had two shots on goal, while junior midfielder Phoebe Garfield, first-year forward Emma Chongo, senior midfielder Angie Geralis, and senior forward Liv McMillan each had one shot on goal.
The Fords are off until Wednesday, when they host Alvernia at 5 p.m. at Walton Field. That match is the first of four matches in 10 days, a stretch that includes at DeSales (Saturday, Sept. 9), at Widener (Wednesday, Sept. 13), and at home against Lebanon Valley (Saturday, Sept. 16).