Box Score
A goal by Abby Davis and a brilliant match by goalkeeper Kristen Haertlein helped the Lady Bruins come away with a road victory on Thursday night as the team defeated Columbia International University 1-0 in Columbia, South Carolina.
"This was a hard fought win for us," Bruins Head Coach Chris Carmichael said. "We struggled early to get into a rhythm of play but came out in the late part of the game with passion and started to control what we needed to control."
The Bruins came into the game on the heels of winning their second straight NCCAA DII South Region Championship as the team defeated Trinity Baptist College on Saturday. While the Lady Bruins await final seeding for the national tournament, the team took the pitch on Thursday night against the Rams to help them stay fresh as they prepare for the NCCAA DII National Tournament.
In the opening minutes, both teams struggled with possession as neither was able to establish a good pace of play. Both teams had several chances in the first half, with Kristen Haertlein coming up with big saves for the Bruins to keep the match scoreless. Offensively, the Bruins were able to generate some looks on frame, but the offensive flow seemed to lack in finishing as attacks were broken up by the Rams defense. The Bruins would break the scoreless tie as Abby Davis her team-leading 15th goal of the season off a great assist from Natasha Walters to give the team a 1-0 lead going into the half.
As the second half began, the Rams came out strong looking for the equalizer. The Bruins defense stood firm as the team thwarted CIU opportunities. Haertlein again was solid for the Bruins in the half as the senior made seven saves throughout the match. Haertlein's best save in the match came in the second half when she blocked a Rams PK to keep the Bruins on top. Despite their efforts to draw even, the Rams couldn't penetrate the Bruins defense as BJU held on for the 1-0 shutout.
"CIU is playing at a very high level and this match could have gone either way," Coach Carmichael said. "We credit their players and coaching staff for playing a great match. For us, we had several players step up big for us to help get the win."
With the victory over CIU, the Bruins improve to 12-6 on the season. Next up, the Bruins will play their final match of the regular season as the team welcomes Columbia International University to Greenville on November 10.
