Soccer

University of Scranton 2, Delaware Valley College 0

SCRANTON (PA) - Junior midfielder Laura Gibbons and freshman midfielder Emily MacPhee each scored a goal in the second-half to lift The University of Scranton past Delaware Valley College, 2-0, in the Freedom Conference regular-season finale for both teams.

The Aggies (5-12-2, 2-3-2) entered the game needing a win or a tie and a DeSales loss on Sunday to qualify for the conference playoffs for the second year in a row. Instead, the Royals will return to the postseason after missing last year's tournament as they improved to 10-6-2 overall and 5-2 in the Freedom

Junior goalie Jackie Colley made four saves for Scranton including two involving a one-on-one situation against Aggie sophomore forward Elise Dauber. Delaware Valley received a match-high 12-save effort from junior goalie Emily Joyce.

After an evenly played first-half in which both teams combined for seven shots-on-goal, the Royals finally broke through on a corner kick opportunity at the 48-minute mark. Senior Claire Goyette send a ball into the scoring box, where Gibbons' headed it in from eight yards out for her third goal of the season to put the Royals ahead for good, 1-0. In the 61st minute, MacPhee blasted in a shot from 10 yards out after being set up perfectly on a cross from freshman forward Eileen Sodano. The Royals kept the Aggies on defense throughout much of the second-half by holding a 16-1 advantage in shots.

In the first-half, Colley came up with a key save on a 12-yard blast by Dauber, who got ahead of the Royal defense at the 15-minute mark. Colley also made a stop on a ball headed towards the goal by Delaware Valley's Emily Perryman off a direct kick minutes earlier. Dauber broke free again in the second-half and blasted a shot from 14 yards out that was knocked away by Colley.