The Muhlenberg Mules controlled the pace of play for much of the match en route to a 2-1 defeat of the Stevenson Mustangs in the victors' home opener.
A penalty kick drawn when freshman
Pia DiGregorio was fouled inside the box got Muhlenberg on the board just past the 10-minute mark.
Kaela MacDougall took the penalty and shot it middle to thwart the Mustangs' keeper, who dove to MacDougall's right. Those two points were the first of the senior midfielder's career.
Muhlenberg received another penalty kick during the second half on a handball inside the box, but were unable to convert. Those penalty kicks were the result of a combination of fortune and consistent offensive pressure that the hosts provided throughout the match; Stevenson didn't record its first shot until nearly 40 minutes into the contest.
The Mules would double their lead a few minutes after the unsuccessful penalty try courtesy of
Devon Cheeseman,
Rose Larner, and
Jaidyn Falcone (pictured). Cheeseman first tapped the ball to Larner, who was about 10 yards outside of the box. The junior then fired a cross into the box to Falcone, who headed the ball just past the outstretched dive of the netminder. That was the second career goal for the sophomore, who headed in a corner kick against Coast Guard just over a year ago for goal number one. It was also the second career point for Larner, and the first since an assist against Elizabethtown in her very first game.
The Mustangs answered back with a goal of their own about 10 minutes later to cut the margin to one. Muhlenberg executed well from then on out, expertly salting the clock away and turning away all of Stevenson's chances. Freshman back
Emma Burns was a big part of that effort, making multiple well-timed tackles to stop Stevenson runs. Goalkeeper
Megan Stairs was stout when called upon and made a spectacular diving save to hold the lead late in the second half.
While this is Muhlenberg's first completed match of the season, it is not its season opener; the hosts went up 1-0 in their season opener against Stockton earlier this week before the contest was suspended due to inclement weather in the 56th minute.
