PIKEVILLE, Ky. (Women's Soccer) – The Shawnee State women's soccer program got a much-needed confidence boost on Saturday afternoon as two goals by Leslie Marsh (JR/Springboro, Ohio) and Maddie Woodard (SO/Camden, Ohio) in the second half broke a 1-1 deadlock and allowed the Bears (4-2-1, 1-1 MSC) to cruise to their first Mid-South Conference victory of the season against the University of Pikeville at the Bob Amos Complex in Pikeville.
Even though Pikeville (1-7, 0-2 MSC) outshot Shawnee State by a 12-7 tally in shots, SSU was able to take advantage of the opportunities that were there in front of the net, as 83 percent of Shawnee State's shots – six, to be exact – came on goal, whereas UPike put 58 percent of their shots on goal by comparison.
In the first half, it seemed as if Pikeville had the control, outshooting Shawnee State by a 3-1 tally over the first 18 minutes of the contest.
However, Michaela Garner (FR/Heath, Ohio) – as well as a strong effort by the SSU defense – kept UPike from striking, as Garner recorded two big saves less than 30 seconds apart while Tasha Wilson (SR/Kettering, Ohio) blocked a Kaitlyn Abdon shot to keep the game at a scoreless tie.
The aforementioned efforts of the Shawnee State defense would pay huge dividends at the 19 minute mark.
After the ball sailed out of bounds toward the far side of the field, Jenny Campbell (SO/Chillicothe, Ohio) would launch a corner kick toward the middle of the penalty box, where a waiting Schuyler Jones (SR/Ramnicu Valcea, Romania) was there to drive the ball by Bryanna Schroers to give SSU a 1-0 lead at the 19:54 mark.
Just over a minute and a half later, Pikeville would come up with the equalizer as Macarena Acuna found space on the right side of the penalty box off of a feed from Jasmine Davis and launched a try past Garner to tie the game at a 1-1 count.
For the remaining 24 minutes, both teams would garner momentum on several offensive rallies, with each squad coming agonizingly close to, but not obtaining, the go-ahead goal as Woodard's 34th minute kick and Acuna's 41st minute shot would each glance off of the post to bring both squads to a 1-1 deadlock at halftime.
Both teams would start the second half in the way that they ended the first – in a gridlock – as tight defense by both ballclubs set the tone for the first 13 minutes of the second stanza.
Shawnee State, however, would change the whole complexion of the contest in the 59th minute of play.
With SSU looking for a momentum shift in the contest, it was the combination of Kyla Toles (FR/Williamsburg, Ohio) and Leslie Marsh who would provide the lift, as Toles found Marsh on the fringes of the penalty box with space to launch a shot.
From there, it was all Marsh as the junior blasted a shot past Schroers to give Shawnee State the momentum shift and a 2-1 advantage in the contest.
Pikeville wouldn't give in. Over the next six minutes, Abdon tried to start a UPike flurry by launching two shots at the net, but Garner was there on both chances to make the stop for SSU to keep the 2-1 advantage intact.
For the next 20 minutes, both teams would again struggle to find openings in the other's defense, as both squads took just one shot apiece without success.
The two leading point-scorers for Shawnee State, however, would not be denied, as Campbell found a streaking Woodard in the penalty box, who launched yet another shot past Schroers with just under four minutes remaining to give the Bears a comfortable 3-1 advantage that would not be challenged for the rest of the way.
In the 3-1 victory, SSU was led by Woodard, who scored her aforementioned goal on three shots (two on goal). Jones' goal came on two shots, with the goal in the 19th minute counting as her lone shot on goal, while Marsh's goal in the 59th minute was her lone shot of the match. Campbell and Toles added two and one assist, respectively, to cap off the Shawnee State effort.
At the goalkeeper position, Garner continued to build on a solid freshman season as the Heath, Ohio native recorded six saves on the night to head the defensive effort for the SSU.
On the upcoming slate, Shawnee State will obtain two days of rest before hosting Campbellsville in another MSC affair on Tuesday evening at 4 p.m. on the Shawnee Turf. Following that contest, SSU will obtain another six days of rest before hosting a nonconference affair against St. Mary-of-the-Woods, who will make the trek to the Shawnee Turf on Sept. 28. The latter contest will also start at 4 p.m.
