PORTSMOUTH, Ohio -- The chemistry between the women's soccer players at Shawnee State has been evident all season long.
Through highs and lows, those within the program have stayed the course through their unrelenting dedication to one another.
Now, it's turning into victories at the right time of the season.
Lucie Ashkettle's beautifully executed 28th minute finish off of a dump off pass from Annie Coriell -- followed by a 71st minute conversion in the middle of the box from Madison Culp off of another Coriell touch -- allowed the Shawnee State women's soccer program to collect its third consecutive victory with a 2-0 triumph over Indiana-Columbus in a River States Conference matchup that was held at Shawnee Turf Thursday evening.
Numbers show convincing triumph
Not only did Shawnee State (3-7-2, 3-2-1 River States Conference) move above .500 overall in conference play, the Bears dominated the proceedings throughout the course of the match as Shawnee State put up 17 shots in all while holding Indiana-Columbus (2-11-1, 0-8 River States Conference) to just one single blast -- a 46th minute shot by the Crimson Pride that wasn't close to hitting the target as Claire Favre, Isabelle Riddle and Elizabeth Brown, among others, kept IU-Columbus from finding any openings.
Additionally, the Bears were accurate in their shot placement, placing 11 of its 17 shots on frame while almost exclusively controlling the ball throughout the entirety of the match through strong footwork and ball placement.
With the victory, Shawnee State now has 10 points to its credit -- and holds sole possession of the No. 4 spot in the River States Conference Standings at 10 points, which would give the Bears at least one home River States Conference Tournament contest if the point total was to hold up.
More on the conference standings can be found at https://riverstatesconference.com/standings.aspx?standings=74.
Ashkettle shakes the scoreboard in 28th
From the opening whistle, Shawnee State controlled the proceedings as Lucie Ashkettle launched an eighth minute shot that was saved by Indiana-Columbus goalkeeper Mallory Gilley, while Haynna Addy and Alex Hurn missed just high with strong blasts in the 18th and 19th minutes of action. Ashkettle then nearly converted in the 21st minute, barely missing a left to right shot in the box while Addy kept the pressure on with a 23rd minute shot that was saved by Gilley.
Nothing, however, was going to deny Ashkettle's third attempt.
After receiving a pass from Annie Coriell on the far side of the pitch, the sophomore fired a beautifully placed right-to-left bender from just outside the box that finished well out of the reach of Gilley, with the ball being launched beautifully into the upper left corner of the net to put Shawnee State ahead by a 1-0 margin in the 28th tally of action.
The goal is the ninth of Ashkettle's career -- as the sophomore, who has four career assists also to her credit, added her 22nd career point with the 28th minute conversion. Ashkettle has been big in supplying pressure for Shawnee State on the offensive end of the field all year long with the Lucasville native posting team-highs of 22 shots and 14 shots on goal for the season to date.
Culp capitalizes on 71st minute opportunity
A dependable leader throughout her career for Shawnee State, Madison Culp has always provided a calming presence and a steady influence to the table throughout her time with the Bears.
After getting off six additional shots -- including two shots by Carlota Ipina Taylor that were saved as well as a 43rd minute attempt by Whitney Dean that glanced off of the crossbar, Culp cashed in for the Bears as the Middletown native snuck in a ball from the middle of the box through traffic to pick up her first goal of the 2024 season and the fifth of her Shawnee State career off of another pass from Annie Coriell.
For her career, Culp now has five goals, four assists and 14 points at SSU. Coriell, the reigning River States Conference Offensive Player of the Week, is now up to two goals and two assists for the 2024 season -- and six goals, three assists and 15 points for her Shawnee State career -- after a two-assist performance against the Crimson Pride.
Additional
The victory puts Shawnee State in a strong position to capitalize provided that the Bears can take care of business at Shawnee Turf over its final three affairs of the 2024 regular season.
Shawnee State's women's soccer program will turn its attention to a Saturday afternoon River States Conference matchup against Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, which commences at 3 p.m. in Portsmouth.
