Huskies Shut Out Penn State Scranton in Season Opener

Pottersville, NY – The Word of Life women's soccer team convincingly opened its 2025 season Saturday afternoon, defeating Penn State Scranton 4–0 behind a dominant offensive showing and a team-wide defensive effort that secured a shutout.

The Huskies wasted little time setting the tone, finding the back of the net three times in the first half. Forward Kylie Butash got things rolling in the 16th minute, finishing off a setup from Eva Penning for the first goal of the year. Just 35 seconds later, Penning doubled the lead with a strike of her own. The Huskies continued to apply pressure, and Penning struck again in the 38th minute, giving Word of Life a 3–0 advantage heading into halftime.

The second half brought more of the same as the Huskies controlled possession and piled up scoring chances. In the 56th minute, Coretta Kruse extended the lead to 4–0, slotting home a pass from Butash to cap off the afternoon's scoring.

In all, Word of Life outshot Penn State Scranton 31–1 and forced the visiting goalkeeper to make 11 saves. Penning led the way with two goals and an assist, while Butash chipped in a goal and an assist of her own. Kruse rounded out the scoring with her second-half tally.

Defensively, the Huskies were nearly flawless. Goalkeeper Ryleigh Gangarossa went largely untested but secured the clean sheet in her 90 minutes of action. The Huskies' back line allowed just one shot all game and kept Scranton without a single shot on goal.

With the win, Word of Life improves to 1–0–0 on the season, while Penn State Scranton drops to 1–1–0. The Huskies will look to carry their momentum into their next matchup as they open YSCC play against Vermont State – Randolph on Wednesday, September 10.