Suffolk's Leslie Hayden Tallies 50th Career Goal

Junior Leslie Hayden (Ross, Calif.) scored her 50^th career goal in Tuesday’s 5-0 win over Mass. Maritime Academy. Hayden and the Rams picked up their ninth win in a row to move to 13-2-1 overall as they close out the 2010 regular season with the playoffs looming this weekend.

Hayden scored twice on Tuesday, bringing her season total to 13. Her 50^th career goal came in the game’s seventy-seventh minute as the junior forward converted on her second penalty-kick of the year.

The Rams took complete control of the game early on as freshman Natalie Favati (Singapore, Singapore) scored in the thirty-seventh minute of the contest. Suffolk would tack on four more goals in the second half.

Freshman Mia Dangora (Billerica, Mass.) netted her first career collegiate goal, scoring unassisted in the game’s seventieth minute. Freshman Gabrielle Balestrier (Mohnton, Penn.) added her thirteenth goal of the season later on taking a cross pass from Favati.

Senior goalkeeper Emily Joyce (Easton, Mass.) needed to make just three saves completing her seventh shutout of the season.  

Hayden scored her 50^th goal in just her 45^th game in three years. The junior has feasted on Mass. Maritime over the past two seasons, scoring eight times in the teams’ two meetings. Hayden became the 21^st player in NCAA Division-III history to net at least six goals in a contest in last year’s meeting on October 14 against the Bucs.

The accolades continue to roll in for Hayden, who also set the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) record for assists within conference matches this season with 14. In 16 games this year, she has posted a total of 43 points, scoring 13 goals and adding 17 assists. The 50 goals tie Hayden for eighth all-time in GNAC history, while her 1.11 goals per game average is fourth-best in league history. In her three-year career Hayden now posts 123 total points (50 goals, 23 assists), which currently ranks her ninth all-time in GNAC history, while her 2.73 points per game in second most in GNAC history.

This season Hayden is currently first among all NCAA Division-III Women’s Soccer players with 17 assists and a 1.13 assists per game total, she is also ranked 23rd among all national players with 2.6 points per game.

Hayden, who made the transition from forward to outside midfielder during the season has now seen her team go 12-1 since the move. The Suffolk offense has also benefitted as the Rams have outscored their opponents 62-12 in the span. The Rams offense currently ranks fifth in the nation with a 4.07 goals per game output.

The top-seeded Rams will open up the 2010 Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) playoffs on Sunday, against an opponent to be determined. The game will start at 5:30pm at Dilboy Stadium in Somerville, Mass.

*Courtesy Suffolk Athletic Communications