by Danny Kotula | Nov 9, 2021 | News Slider, Sports
The Lipscomb women’s soccer team will face in-state opponents Tennessee 4 pm Friday in the first round of the 2021 NCAA College Cup, the team learned Monday afternoon during the NCAA Women’s Soccer Selection Show. The Bisons earned an automatic qualification spot Saturday when they won the ASUN Championship for the third time in four years against Kennesaw State. Tennessee will host Lipscomb in the second-ever meeting between the two sides and the home side’s first tournament appearance since 2018, when they reached the quarterfinal. The previous match between the two ended in a 0-0 draw after two overtimes in 2015. Lipscomb will make their third appearance in four years in the College Cup, also making a milestone year out of 2018 when they reached the 2nd round of the tournament. 10th-year head coach Kevin O’Brien was quick to give respect to a Tennessee squad he knows well. “I watched Tennessee in person this year when they came into town to play Vanderbilt,” O’Brien said. “[They’re] a fantastic team, well-coached with great organization and great athleticism.” When it comes to potential weaknesses to exploit, O’Brien admits there aren’t many to choose from. “There’s really not a whole lot that group is lacking, so it’s going to be a great test, but we’re up for it.” Boasting a 2-1 record against Power 5 opponents and a 1-1 mark against SEC schools this year, Lipscomb is no stranger to high-profile matchups. They also took down Mississippi State in the first round of their 2018 run, representing their only previous SEC contest in a College Cup match. Tennessee enters the match with...
by Danny Kotula | Nov 8, 2021 | News Slider, Sports
The Lipscomb men’s soccer team scored four goals in under 20 minutes to beat the Stetson Hatters Sunday afternoon in the ASUN Tournament Semifinal. With the win, the top-seeded Bisons progress to the conference final Saturday night against Central Arkansas in a rematch of last weekend’s regular season title-clinching overtime win. Four-seeded Stetson entered with momentum on their side, having beaten Lipscomb in 3-2 the previous meeting between the two this season. The Hatters also knocked Lipscomb out in their most recent tournament matchup in 2019. The first half threatened more of the same, as the visitors played with more vibrancy in attack than Lipscomb did. The Hatters had the bulk of the goal-scoring chances in the first 45, but a few great opportunities went begging. Stetson took five first-half shots all told, four of which were inside the 6-yard box, but only landed one on target and failed to find the back of the net. Lipscomb, meanwhile, only managed two shots in an underwhelming first half, not landing a single shot on goal. The second half, though, quickly changed the narrative. 17-year head coach Charles Morrow was quick to point out the change between the two halves. “We weren’t creative enough, and we talked a lot about front four movement [at halftime],” Morrow said. “It took a little while–Stetson plays a different shape, and they’re also very good in transition, on counter attacks. The first half was pretty tentative, but I think [the players] had a better feel for it in the second half.” The better feel was felt instantly by the Bisons, as substitute striker Tyrece Spicer...
by Danny Kotula | Nov 7, 2021 | News Slider, Sports
The Lipscomb women’s soccer team claimed the 2021 ASUN Championship Saturday night in a 1-0 win over the Kennesaw State Owls at Lipscomb Soccer Complex. After beating the Owls in the 2019 edition of the final at the same venue, Lipscomb repeated the same feat two years later, winning their second ASUN title in the past three attempts. Collierville, Tennessee-born striker Kammy McGee was a member of the Bisons team that won on penalty kicks against KSU two years ago, but the 4th-year sophomore says this win feels different. “It’s bittersweet,” McGee said, who will move on from the Lipscomb program after this season as an academic senior. “This year has been a lot different; I’ve spent so much more this year. But it feels all the same [in terms] of just the hard work that this team has put in and how much they love Jesus.” McGee grabbed the winning goal in the first half, tapping in a pass from sophomore striker Molly Grant after Grant used tricky footwork to create space down the right side of the box. On a night where Lipscomb attempted 24 shots, it took a tap-in from McGee to give the Bisons a win they thoroughly deserved on both sides of the ball. “It was just timing the run, basically,” McGee said. “I didn’t really know if it went in or not–I kind of blacked out from excitement.” “I’m confident in Molly and her ability to get down the line and pass it.” Defensively, the Bisons’ back line made it relatively easy for sophomore goalkeeper CJ Graham to earn her unprecedented 13th clean...
by Danny Kotula | Nov 1, 2021 | News Slider, Sports
The Lipscomb women’s soccer team won its ASUN semifinal matchup Sunday afternoon 4-0 over the Eastern Kentucky Colonels. The top-seeded Bisons took down No. 3-seed EKU to advance to the ASUN conference final for the sixth time in the last seven seasons. “I mean, it was just such a perfect moment,” Switzerland-born midfielder Emanuela Schurch said. “I’m just so proud of the team, honestly.” EKU won the previous meeting between the two sides in the regular season, taking a 2-1 victory in Richmond. In Sunday’s match, the visiting Colonels brought the same level of confidence and tested Lipscomb early and often in the first half. The Colonels controlled about 60 percent possession and converted that into attacking opportunities quickly. In the fourth minute, Gretta Gunn put a shot on target that tested sophomore goalkeeper C. J. Graham. Graham was forced into two more saves before the 20-minute mark, while Lipscomb failed to put a shot on target during that same period. The home team worked its way into the game as the half progressed, and it became an ideal game for the neutral. Both sides traded possession and put shots up, but it was EKU that held the advantage at halftime with eight shots to Lipscomb’s four. In the end, though, neither side found the back of the net, and the two sides entered the halftime deadlocked at 0-0. Reflecting on the situation at halftime, head coach Kevin O’Brien saw the break as a turning point for the team. “[At halftime], it’s either keep do what we’re doing and lose, or respond with a little bit of character,” O’Brien...
by Danny Kotula | Nov 1, 2021 | News Slider, Sports
The Lipscomb men’s soccer team defeated the Central Arkansas Bears by a 1-0 scoreline Saturday night in overtime. In a battle between the top two teams in the ASUN Conference, the Bisons earned the title of ASUN regular season champions at the last possible moment, winning in overtime on the last day of the regular season. The match also served as Senior Night for Lipscomb’s four graduating players after the season ends. Defenders Chase Carraher and Honore Kalala and attackers Bakary Bagayoko and Zarek Jakubowski were the four players to be honored who will move on from Lipscomb next year. On the field, the match lived up to its billing as the best two teams in the conference traded blows. Both sides attacked freely from the onset, but the two pairs of defensive lines held firm all night long. For Lipscomb in particular, it was one of the best defensive efforts the team has put together across the season. Central Arkansas was limited to just three shots in the first half and five more in the second half; for the first time this season, UCA failed to register a single shot on target to test Bisons goalkeeper Michael Sibley. Meanwhile, Lipscomb struggled with possession throughout the match. Head coach Charles Morrow came out with a clear counterattacking mentality, absorbing pressure deep and relying on quick passes to test the Bears. Things didn’t pan out in the attack in the first half, though, as Lipscomb only registered one shot in the first 45. The second half showed minor improvement for the Bisons, who were bolstered by a Senior Night crowd...
