The Lipscomb women’s soccer team took down the Kennesaw State Owls 3-0 Sunday afternoon at Lipscomb Soccer Complex.
A consistent performance from the Bisons was a stark contrast from the inconsistent weather on the afternoon, as strong winds and rain plagued the players and supporters from the opening whistle.
Per usual, Lipscomb’s attack created problems for its opponent from the start. True freshman midfielder Noa Ganthier registered the first shot of the match inside of 10 minutes, one of ten that the Bisons would go on to attempt in the first half alone. Ganthier, a native of Boca Raton, Florida, contributed 56 minutes for Lipscomb in a continuation of her impressive freshman campaign.
Outside back Angela Steidl, a sophomore and transfer from Furman, picked up a head injury in the 12th minute that removed her from the rest of the contest. She was replaced by Mt. Juliet, Tennessee, defender Summer Ellmore, who put up a season-high 65 minutes against the Owls in Steidl’s stead.
Despite Lipcomb’s possession advantage and high-pressing style, they were unable to find many clear-cut chances, and the first twenty minutes passed with few obvious opportunities for either side.
One exception developed in the 26th minute, when Auburn transfer Cami Rogers fired a shot from the edge of the box that forced an outstretched save from KSU goalkeeper Dylan Pixton.
The inclement weather reached its peak soon after, when lightning was spotted and a weather delay was instigated at the 27th minute. The delay that ensued lasted nearly two hours, as various lightning strikes continued to delay the restart further.
Once the match did resume, though, a different Bisons team took the field. Partly thanks to four substitutions from 10-year head coach Kevin O’Brien, the attacking chances for Lipscomb flowed freely in the remainder of the first half. In the 42nd minute, Rogers helped the Bisons earn their reward for positive forward play, drawing a penalty kick that Luzern, Switzerland-born attacking midfielder Emanuela Schurch put away to put the home side ahead at halftime.
The second half was much of the same for Lipscomb, as the team continued to create chance after chance and allow little resistance for Kennesaw State. Freshman striker Shadia Valenzuela scored her second career goal in purple and gold in the 54th minute, putting the Bisons in even greater control. She cleaned up a missed save from Dylan Pixton after redshirt freshman Haley Williams’ shot was stopped. Williams, a native of St. Simons Island, Georgia, was credited with the assist on the Colombian striker’s goal.
Pressure arose from Kennesaw State as the second half wore on, especially through striker Ebony Clarke, who registered four shots for the Owls. Clarke scored match-winning goals in two of her past three matches coming into the game, but was kept out of goal in Nashville on the afternoon.
The nail in the coffin came in minute 89, when Molly Grant made up for a missed shot the play before with a cool finish on a one-on-one chance to beat Dylan Pixton. Hailing from Plainfield, Illinois, Grant bagged her third goal of the year to go along with two assists in her 12 starts.
Aside from drawing the penalty for the opening goal, all three of Rogers’ shots were on target, a shots on goal tally that led the team. Her 16 shots on target and 29 shots total are both team-leading numbers for the Bisons after 12 matches this season.
Goalkeeper CJ Graham, a native of Swannanoa, North Carolina, made five saves to earn her seventh clean sheet of the season. The sophomore passed the 50-save mark against the Owls and has only conceded two goals in four ASUN Conference matches this campaign.
With the win, Lipscomb advances to 8-1-3 on the season with a 3-0-1 mark in conference play.
Kennesaw State moves to .500 in conference play with the loss, dropping to 2-0-2 in the ASUN and holding a 5-0-6 overall record. In eleven matches, KSU has still not drawn a match this season.
The Bisons are next in action 5 PM Thursday at Frazier Stadium in Louisville, Kentucky for an away match against Bellarmine. That match will be broadcast live on The Bison, Lipscomb’s student radio station and home of live Lipscomb sports.