Lions Knock Off Hazleton In PSUAC Battle For First Place

MEDIA, Pa. -- Penn State Brandywine and Penn State Hazleton entered Sunday with identical 3-0 Penn State University Athletic Conference women's soccer records, but Penn State Brandywine now owns sole possession of first place as the Lions knocked off Hazleton 3-1 on their home field.

Brandywine (5-3, 4-0 PSUAC) now needs to win one of its final two conference games to clinch the No. 1 seed in the PSUAC Tournament and its third-straight PSUAC regular-season title.

Averie Florschutz (Chadds Ford, Pa./Kennett) provided the first two goals of the game, giving the Lions a 2-0 lead entering the halftime break. She tallied her first score just 3:47 into the match, breaking through a trio of Hazleton defenders and beating goalkeeper Devon Keiper to the top left corner.

The Lions' lead reached two scores when Florschutz scored off a feed from Emily Jefferson (Sparta, N.J./Pope John XXIII Regional) in the 39th minute.

Brianna Banks (Philadelphia, Pa./Parkway Center) added an insurance goal late in the second half, upping her team-leading total to 14 scores.

Hazleton got one goal closer following a free kick score by Madison Polumbo in the 82nd minute, but that would be the visitors' final shot of the match.

Emily Bush (Bayville, N.J./Central Regional) stopped eight of the nine shots she faced to earn her fourth victory of the season. Brandywine outshot Hazleton 31-12, putting 15 shots on target.

Brandywine hits the road Wednesday for the first time in two weeks when the Lions visit Alvernia for a 7:00 PM match.