NEW YORK  –  Columbia women's soccer (4-2-1) broke away from Seton Hall (5-3) with one goal in each half for the team's fourth straight victory. On home turf at Rocco B. Commisso Stadium, the Lions were victorious in a tightly contested match.

Columbia possessed the ball 53-percent of play, as opposed to SHU's 47 percent, and placed six shots on target compared to Seton Hall's seven. Overall, the Lions held just a one-shot advantage over their opponent, outshooting the Pirates 14-13.

"One thing for sure, our energy was outstanding from the start through to the final minutes. As a coach, you always want to put one or two more away. The longer the game continued at 1-0, the harder you could feel Seton Hall pushing forward. It was good to get the second goal," said head coach Tracey Bartholomew after the win. "The team is feeling confident. We're focused on where we started, where we are now, and where we will go. The shutout is great, keeping teams off the board is huge and puts our offense in the best possible position."

Rookie standout Sophia Cavaliere put the Lions on the board in the 27th minute, capitalizing on a pass from teammate Madi Pilla. The goal marked Cavaliere's third of the season as she led the team in shots on the night (4). 

Another look at rookie Sophia Cavaliere's first half goal⚽️#RoarLionRoar

🖥️ https://t.co/EV38AWeSIx
📊https://t.co/XXfLaFwJtP pic.twitter.com/jg5rRWoBO0

— Columbia Women's Soccer (@CULionsWSOC) September 17, 2021

In the second half, Nata Ramirez also recorded her third goal of 2021, doing so in the 71st minute off a penalty drawn by Kayla Lee. Cavaliere and Ramirez now move into a two-way tie for most goals, each finding the back of the net three times in their first collegiate seasons.

Columbia's Paige Nurkin came away with her second solo clean sheet with a career-best seven saves. The six-foot tall keeper was solid between the pipes for the full 90 minutes, making the final save of the contest with under a minute left to play.

Columbia will return to Rocco B. Commisso Stadium on Sunday for a 2:30 p.m. kickoff against Quinnipiac.
 
For the latest on the Columbia women's soccer program, follow @CULionsWSOC on Twitter and Instagram, on Facebook at Facebook.com/ColumbiaWSoccer and on the web at GoColumbiaLions.com.