The St. Thomas Aquinas College women's soccer team saw visiting Dowling College ride a flurry of late first-half goals to a 7-2 decision in an East Coast Conference game at Spartans Field. The Lady Spartans are now 0-6 on the season and 0-3 in ECC play, with Dowling improving to 6-1-1, 3-1-0.

Dowling took control of the early going, putting up the game's first 10 shots over a 25-minute span - yet failing to hit the scoreboard - before STAC began to find it's footing. The Lady Spartans picked up the pace and put some pressure on the powerful Golden Lions, but Dowling's Taylor Davide put her team on the board with a tally in the 34th minute.

Still, the Lady Spartans were well within reach until the Golden Lions struck quickly, and often. Starting at the 37:10 mark, the visitors caught fire with four goals in a span of just under four minutes, opening a commanding 5-0 lead that they would take into halftime.

STAC continued to battle in the second half, with Danielle Stam converting just over six minutes in, to cut the margin to 5-1. Annalise Warren gave the hosts hope with her first marker of the year, an artful chip over Dowling keeper Ariana Irizarry with just over 20 minutes to play to bring St. Thomas Aquinas to within three goals.

Not to be denied, Dowling struck late again, with Lindsey Thompson striking twice in the waning minutes to provide her team with its final margin of victory. Lauren Morales was tagged with the loss in net, allowing five goals while making four saves. Avaree Rainford played the second half, making seven stops while yielding two goals.

The Lady Spartans are back in action on Thursday, October 3, when Post University pays a call to Spartan Field for a 3:00 start.