PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – Erin Mitchell put the George Mason women's soccer team up 1-0 in the first half, but La Salle answered with four goals to capture a 4-1 victory Friday night.
Midway through the first half, Mitchell scored her third goal of the season, placing a blast from deep on the far side past the keeper into the top left corner for a 1-0 Mason lead in the 24th minute. But the lead was short-lived as the Explorers scored the equalizer just three minutes later when Kerri Aiken headed a Paige McDowell assist into the lower left corner for a 1-1 score in the 27th minute. Niomi Serrano looked to put Mason back on top, but the freshman's shot on goal was saved by La Salle keeper Jessica Wiggins.
La Salle would score two goals in a two minute span to close out the half with a 3-1 advantage. Kelsey Haycock headed in an Explorers' corner kick at the 35:06 mark and tallied her second goal just minutes later finishing a Maryam Huseni free kick at the 36:45 mark. Mitchell tried to cut the deficit as Wiggins came up with her third save of the half allowing La Salle to carry a 3-1 lead into the break.
Laura Glew made three stops early in the second half to keep the Explorers off the scoreboard as the teams played a back-and-forth battle through the majority of the period. Gabriella Carbone completed the scoring for the game with a tally in the 87th minute when Huseini fed Carbone the ball from the top of the box as Carbone finished the play into the far post for the final 4-1 score.
For the game, La Salle outshot the Patriots 17-12 as Mason placed seven shots on goal to the Explorers' nine. Mitchell paced Mason with four attempts, three on frame. Glew recorded four saves in the second half, while Brianna Kottler picked up one save in the first.
George Mason returns to action on Sunday at Fordham. Game time is slated for 2:30 p.m. before the Patriots return home for Senior Day on October 31 at 5 p.m. against Saint Joseph's.
