Box Score
The Lady Bruins closed out the regular season with a big win as the team defeated Columbia International University 6-0 on Thursday night. "Columbia International did a lot of things right and we thank them for the competition in both tonight's game and last week's game," Bruins Coach Chris Carmichael said. "Our players did a good job of finishing our opportunities throughout the match and our depth really stepped up in a big way."
The two teams met last week in Columbia, South Carolina with the Bruins edging the Rams 1-0. With one final tuneup before postseason tournaments, both teams were looking to end the regular season strong.
The Lady Bruins took control of the match early after forward Abby Davis broke free in the middle of the field and passed it off to freshman Megan Brubaker who fired a blistering shot into goal just over a minute into the match.
The team did a great job of controlling possession and creating shot opportunities throughout the game. They finished with fourteen total shots compared to only five shots from Columbia International.
Three of the goals scored by the Lady Bruins came off set pieces. Jessica Baun was able to convert on a free kick in the 1st half after powering the ball through the defensive wall and opposing goalkeeper Sam Wammock. Later freshman Kristyn Rygh's goal gave the team a comfortable 3-0 lead heading into halftime after a great assist from Grace Hoffman.
In the second half, the Bruins came out with good possession and ball movement as they created additional scoring opportunities. Perhaps the highlight of the match came at the 70 minute mark when Allyson Jenkins floated a free kick into the back of the net. The Rams defense did not anticipate a shot attempt so they did not have a defensive wall in front of Jenkins. She was able to bend it over the goalkeeper for the goal, and the crowd at Alumni Stadium went crazy.
Freshman Kayla Romeiser was able to put the icing on the cake for the Bruins victory when she connected on a header off a corner kick to widen the Bruins lead as the team finished the 6-0 shutout for the win.
"We have to keep playing our game and take it a minute at a time," Coach Carmichael said. "We need to stay focused and ready heading into Nationals."
The Bruins finished the regular season at 13-6. The team will compete in the NCCAA DII National Tournament beginning next week in Kissimmee, Florida. Next up, the #1 ranked Bruins will play against #4 Randall University on Friday night. The winner will play in the national championship match on Saturday.
