The College of Staten Island women’s soccer team improved to 5-0 for the first time in their history tonight, surpassing Lehman College, 2-0, in their CUNYAC opener in the Bronx.  CSI sophomore Lizbeth Aparicio scored both goals for the Dolphins, who are now 5-0 overall and 1-0 in the conference while the Lightning fell to 1-3-1, 0-1, respectively.

The Dolphins, who have not allowed a goal in over 400 minutes payed and have recorded four straight shutouts, left little to doubt in the first stanza, tightening up in their final third of the field while taking a 6-0 edge in shots.  The earliest of those shots came just over two minutes into the game, when Natalia Sandor bent a corner kick near the far post that Aparicio was in full harmony with, popping it in past LC keeper Rebecca Gritz to stake CSI to a 1-0 lead.

Things were largely defensive from there, as play was dominated in the midfield with both teams pawing back and forth.  CSI manufactured a few shots but only one, an Adrianna Parello attempt, forced a Gritz save.  Play then dipped into the final 15 of the stanza and once again CSI set up for a corner kick.  Once again it was Sandor who sent a ball towards the back post, and in a repeat performance, Aparicio charged in and made contact, burying the header into the corner of the net for the 2-0 advantage at 34:04.

CSI went into intermission up 2-0, and the score would ultimately stand.  In the second half, chances were few and far between as CSI tightened up considerably on the defensive side.  Still, Lehman was able to muster some offensive runs, enough to force a Kaila DiBenedetto save, and then later, when DiBenedetto came out of the game in the 76th minute, Maraya Jones came on and made another in the 81st minute to keep the shutout intact.

The Dolphins led the final shot count, 8-4 (4-2 on goal), and held a 6-2 edge in corner kicks, which provided the difference in the game.  For Aparicio, the goals were her first of the season and the third and fourth of her career.  It was her first multi-goal game.  The Dolphins have now beaten Lehman in four straight contests, and secured their first road win against the Lightning since 2013.

That same year, CSI started the season 4-0, before a tie interrupted the streak, so the 5-0 start for CSI is their best ever.  The Dolphins, however, did go on to start 12-0-1 in 2013. 

The Dolphins will look to keep rolling this weekend, when they stay within the conference to take on City College of New York at Randall’s Island on Saturday at 4:30pm.