STEUBENVILLE – The Franciscan women's soccer team honored its three graduating seniors after a 0-0 draw with visiting Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference opponent, D'Youville on a blustery Saturday afternoon.
Senior Sarah Luebking (Littleton, CO/Columbine) set the tone early for the Lady Barons as she stopped a penalty kick just 2:32 into the first half. The Spartans drew a foul just inside the box and after Luebking's first PK save was called back due to movement on the line behind the penalty spot, the senior made an incredible save as she leaped to her left and snagged the ball out of the top corner to keep D'Youville off of the board. The Lady Baron offense then went to work but a pair of shots from senior Elizabeth Dawyot (Landenberg, PA/Kennett) and senior Emily Wieszczek (Scotch Plain, NJ/Mother Seton Regional) were saved by the Spartan keeper.
Neither team could find the back of the net in the first 45 minutes, though Luebking needed just one save in the first half to keep a clean sheet and her Spartan counterpart needed three.
The second half played out just as the first did as the Lady Barons controlled the pace of play with their aggressive offensive play but could not get a ball past Megan Dulniak in net. Dulniak made five saves in the second, including four on shots from junior Katie Kilian (Ventura, CA/Saint John Paul the Great). Once again, Luebking only needed on save in the half and it came early as she turned away a shot from Makenna Magee in the 53rd minute and did not face another shot on goal for the rest of the half, thanks to her stellar back line in front of her.
Brit Cristofanelli tested Luebking early in the first overtime, but the senior proved once again she was a brick wall as she turned away a deep shot 2:34 into the first overtime period.
Kilian and junior Hannah Doyle (Silverton, OR/Saint John Bosco) each got a shot off but were denied by Dulniak in the first seven minutes over overtime. Dulniak made a saved with 31 seconds left in the first overtime to send the game into its final 10 minutes.
Neither team was able to get a shot off in the final 10 minutes of the contest and the game ended in a hard-fought 0-0 draw.
Luebking finished the day with three saves in her fifth shutout of the season and eighth of her career. The senior is the all-time saves leader at FUS with 275 and is one shutout shy of tying the season and career records for the Lady Barons.
Dawyot, who finished the day with three shots, currently has 34 points in her career behind 10 goals and 14 assists and ranks seventh among the Lady Baron career leaders in points. Her 14 assists place her second all-time at Franciscan. Dawyot also had three game-winning goals in her career.
Wieszczek has played three seasons for the Lady Barons and currently has 18 points in her career behind eight goals and two assists. Wieszczek has four goals this season, a career best for the senior.
The Lady Barons will travel to Greensburg, PA on Tuesday to play in their regular-season finale against Pitt. -Greensburg. The opening kick is set for 1:00 pm.
Game Note: The tie has clinched a playoff spot for the Lady Barons, though seeding for the 2018 AMCC Tournament will come down to the final games of the season on Tuesday.
