NEWTON, MA - Saint Joseph's (2-1-1, 2-0-1 GNAC) defeated Mount Ida (1-2-1, 0-1), 3-0, in women's soccer action on Wednesday afternoon. Jessica Needham '11 (E. Bridgewater, MA) scored two goals and Monks goalkeeper Katye Mayo '10 (Fairfield, ME) made five saves to record her first shutout of the season.

The Monks notched their first score of the contest very quickly off a botched clear by the Mustangs. In the third minute, a shot by Anna Willis '10 (Gorham, ME) was deflected by Mount Ida goalkeeper Meghan Begins (Jericho, VT) and the ball bounded to Needham, who placed the ball in the right corner for a 1-0 advantage.

The Mustangs had a chance of their own immediately following on a bounding ball in front of the net. Mount Ida freshman Devan Meeker (Bantam, CT) fired a point blank shot in the middle of a scrum inside the box that was denied by Mayo.

The action went back and forth with both teams creating chances for themselves while neither team able was to capitalize for the rest of the first. The horn sounded signaling the end of the half with the Monks holding onto a 1-0 lead.

Twenty-three minutes into the second half, St. Joe's found the net again. A shot by St. Joe's junior Mikayla Call (Portland, ME/McAuley) on a breakaway was denied by Begins, but the rebound went to Needham, who used a wide open net to her advantage as the Monks had secured a 2-0 lead.

Call netted her first goal of the 2009 campaign in the 82nd minute to provide the Royal Blue with a three-goal advantage.

St. Joe's held a 15-9 advantage in shots and a 5-1 lead in corner kicks in the triumph. Begins made five stops for the Mustangs in a losing effort.

Saint Joseph's will host Saint Joseph (CT) on Saturday at 1:00 PM in a conference contest, while the Mustangs will start a five-game road swing beginning with a game against GNAC foe Simmons College on Saturday at 1:00 PM.

THANKS IN PART TO MOUNT IDA SPORTS INFORMATION