The St. Lawrence University women's soccer team defeated Aruba's U20 National Team 2-1 on Wednesday evening during the squad's pre-season trip to Aruba. The match, which was the third for the Saints in five days, was played in front of an extremely inspired Aruba home crowd and was broadcast live on the National Team's official website.

"This was a fantastic test for our team," said St. Lawrence Head Coach Franco Bari. "Playing three games in five days is always a challenge and, while our legs were a bit heavy, persistence allowed us to create many successful moments. While we were not particularly focused on the score this trip, we had a great opportunity to evaluate new options while playing a few players in multiple positions. Overall, it was an extremely exciting game and the atmosphere was incredible. I'm grateful that this team had an opportunity to compete in this unforgettable environment."

The Saints, who were greeted by local media upon arrival to the stadium, won all three contests played in Aruba. While Wednesday's match was filled with end to end action, St. Lawrence gained most of the possession and nearly scored on several opportunities.

Senior Erika Gobeille finally broke through in the 23rd minute, unleashing a driven shot beyond the outstretched hands of Aruba's keeper off of a service from classmate Julia Friesen. St. Lawrence took the 1-0 lead into the locker rooms at the half before coming out with renewed energy, nearly capitalizing on several breakaways in the second half.

St. Lawrence took a 2-0 lead in the 86th minute when sophomore Emily DePoy sent a through ball to junior Nyssa LaClair, who gracefully pushed it past the charging goalkeeper. Aruba came within one a few minutes later, scoring off an outside shot which ignited the home crowd. The Saints, however, stood their ground and kept their opponent off the scoreboard for the remainder of the contest for the 2-1 win.

The Saints will enjoy their last few days in Aruba before making their way back to the United States. The team is due back on campus late next week to continue to prepare for the 2013 season and will host SUNY-Cortland on Aug. 31 in game one of the North Country Classic. Kick-off is at 1:00pm at Sandy MacAllaster field.