Women's Soccer | 10/15/2018 5:05:00 PM

MONTREAL -- Midfielder Claudia Agozzino scored twice as the McGill women's soccer squad, dressed in pink for breast cancer awareness, flew to great heights on Friday, cruising to a 3-1 victory over No.4 ranked Laval at Percival Molson Stadium.

It was McGill's first home-field victory over their provincial rivals in seven years, dating back to a 1-0 decision on Oct. 11, 2011, ending an 0-5-1 winless streak. Combined with a 2-1 victory at Quebec City last month, it marked the first Martlets sweep over Laval since 2009, when they won 3-2 at home and 1-0 on the road.

The result was a costly blow for second-place Laval, which dropped to 7-2-2 and sit four points back of division-leading Montreal (8-0-3).
 
Agozzino, an engineering senior from Montreal who registered a game-high four shots on net, gave McGill a 1-0 lead in the 37th minute and then put the game out of reach with an insurance marker on a penalty kick in the 72nd minute.

Laval defender Mireille Patry tied the score at 1-1 in the 58th minute.  That lead, however, was short-lived as Richmond, B.C., native Tia Lore tallied her team-leading fourth of the season seven minutes later, with what proved to be the tying goal.

Martlets midfielder Ruxandra Zamfir, a sophomore from Longueuil, Que., was credited with two assists.

The Martlets had a 9-4 edge in shots on net as goalkeeper Sarah Dubois registered three saves for the victory. Marie-Joelle Vandal made six saves in a losing cause for the Rouge et Or.

McGill, which improved to 5-4-2, remains fourth in the eight-team RSEQ conference. Their next test is on Sunday, when they travel to Sherbrooke to face the Vert & Or, who are seventh with a 2-8-2 record.

Laval (7-2-2) plays at Montreal (8-0-3) in a first-place showdown on Sunday.