The Bruins women's soccer team took the field against Toccoa Falls College in the first round of the NCCAA DII South Regional playoffs. The teams had witnessed Clearwater Christian defeating Johnson University, and both schools were battling to see who would join the Cougars in the championship on Saturday. The Bruins and Eagles played earlier this season with the Bruins capturing a 1-0 win.
The Eagles finished their regular season at 6-10 but won four of their last five matches entering the tournament. The Bruins were riding a four-match winning streak as they finished their regular season at 11-4-2. For both teams the mission was clear: win and advance. Lose and go home. The hot Florida sun was in full effect as the match began.
In the opening minutes, the Bruins controlled possession and worked through their offensive progressions to advance into the attacking third. Spencer Martin and Isobel Johnston did a great job of spreading the field to open up lanes for runs on the net. The team generated several great looks in the opening minutes, while limiting chances from the Eagles offense. In the 10th minute of action, Jenn Wise sent a through pass to Becca Luttrell who drilled a shot past the goalkeeper to make it 1-0.
Even with the lead, the Bruins continued to pressure the net. In the 16th minute, Jenn Wise received a pass from Spencer Martin just outside the box. She turned and fired a shot towards the Eagles net, which was deflected by the defender. This changed the direction of the shot and sent it over the head of goalkeeper Katherine Borderud to give the Bruins a 2-0 lead. The team outshot the Eagles 10-1 in the first half, as they put up relentless pressure on net. As the whistle blew to end the half, the Bruins had a comfortable 2-0 lead.
"Our mobility was very good and equally important our possession was very good," Coach Carmichael said. "That opened up more creativity in the attacking third and created a lot of scoring opportunities."
In the second half, the Bruins kept up their relentless attack while continuing to hold strong on defense. The Eagles never got an open look on net throughout the match as each time they received the ball, they would be met by a Bruins defender. Just 10 minutes into the second half, Bruins' defensemen Caitlyn Lehman lofted a beautiful bending shot over the out-stretched arms of the goalie to make it 3-0.
From there, Coach Carmichael focused on saving some of the energy level of the starters and allowed some of the reserve players to get quality minutes. The team kept up their pressure and maintained possession of the ball. Tori Anderson made several saves to keep the clean sheet as the Bruins continued to control the game. The final whistle gave the Bruins their fifth straight win in a 3-0 victory over Toccoa Falls College.
"Our defense continues to be very solid for us," Coach Carmichael said. "Tori also did a great job in helping us earn another shutout."
With the win, the Bruins will advance to the championship round of the NCCAA DII South Regional playoffs. Jenn Wise led the way for the Bruins with one goal and one assist, while Becca Luttrell and Caitlyn Lehman each had one goal. Spencer Martin had two assists in the match. Tori Anderson completed her 8th clean sheet of the season. The Bruins will rest and recover tomorrow before entering the championship match on Saturday morning against Clearwater.
