MIDDLETOWN, Pa. – Penn State Harrisburg has won five games through the first third of the 2013 season.  Four of those victories have come by the slimmest of margins.  On Saturday afternoon, Sep. 21, the Lions picked up their latest one-goal win when they defeated the visitors from Penn College 2-1.  Senior captain Kara Hoy (Camp Hill, Pa. / Camp Hill) scored the game-winner while sophomore Fay Ansary (Hummelstown, Pa. / Hershey) netted her team-leading sixth goal of the year.

Ansary's score came just 13 minutes into the contest when she made a nifty move to beat her defender, dribbled along the Penn College end line and put her shot past Wildcat goalkeeper Reda Vermilya to give the Blue & White an early 1-0 advantage.

The Lions' next score was set up by a Penn College foul.  Hoy was awarded a free kick from just outside the Wildcat box and she made the visitors pay when she struck a well-placed ball past a wall of defenders and Vermilya and into the back of the net, giving Penn State Harrisburg a 2-0 lead in the 30th minute.

Penn College cut the deficit in half when the Wildcats' Robyn Beddow converted a penalty kick three minutes later but the score wasn't without controversy.  Just moments earlier, Penn State Harrisburg goalie Mackenzie Gates (Harrisburg, Pa. / Central Dauphin) made an incredible save while diving to her right, denying a Madilyn Walters PK and seemingly preserving the home team's 2-0 advantage.  But the referee deemed that a Lion defender moved early on the play, drawing an encroachment call and awarding the Wildcats with a second chance. 

From there, however, Gates and the Blue & White defense locked down and allowed Penn College next to nothing.  Gates made one of her three saves early in the second half when she denied Alexandra Brennan.  That was as close as the Wildcats would get.  With the win, Gates' record in goal improved to 5-1 on the fall.

The Lions battled hard in a physical game that saw Penn College commit 16 fouls.  The Wildcats actually outshot Penn State Harrisburg 12-10 but only three of those were on target.  On the other hand, the Blue & White got off eight shots on goal.

With the victory, Penn State Harrisburg improved its overall record to 5-2.  The Lions have just one more non-conference matchup before Capital Athletic Conference (CAC) play begins next weekend.  The ladies host Washington College in their next outing this Wednesday night, Sep. 25.