Box Score
The Lady Bruins had their 5-game winning streak snapped on Tuesday night as the team fell to Tennessee Wesleyan University 3-0 in Athens, Tennessee. The team is now 5-3 on the season. "We lost to a very good team that pressed us well," Head Coach Chris Carmichael said. "We were unable to establish any meaningful rhythm of play. Our players worked hard and created a few opportunities but in the end we collectively were not sharp enough against a quality opponent."
The Bruins came into the match with a lot of momentum as they defeated Montreat College 7-1 in their last game. The Bulldogs have seen success as well in the 2016 season as they came into Tuesday's game having won three of their last four games.
From the opening kickoff, the Bulldogs went on the offensive and bombarded the Bruins nets with shots. Kristen Haertlein had her work cut out for her early, but the senior keeper was up to the task as she made several saves in the opening minutes. The Bulldogs finally found the back of the net in the 17th minute of play as Nicole Broderick broke through the Bruins defense and finished on the breakaway to put Tennessee Wesleyan up 1-0. The Bruins tried to counter, but had trouble moving the ball into the attacking third as the Bulldogs defense stood strong. At the half, the Bruins trailed 1-0.
In the second half, the Bruins came out strong looking for the equalizer. Mimi Lozano had an opportunity early on but her shot sailed over the net. Sarah Herr and Sarah Epperson both had chances for the Bruins as well, but the team couldn't seem to find a way to score. The Bulldogs countered and extended their lead as Broderick scored again to make it 2-0. With the match drawing to a close, the Bruins began to push ahead trying to get something going offensively. Their push forward allowed the Bulldogs to counter quickly as Tennessee Wesleyan scored with just over 3 minutes remaining to finish the match 3-0 over the Bruins.
"We did a very good job controlling the game at first, but we lost our focus and started technically breaking down," Coach Carmichael said. "The team never gave up and as always we will learn from each experience. We will get some recovery and try to get our players well and healthy for Saturday."
The Bruins offense struggled in the match as the team was outshot by the Bulldogs 24-4. Defensively, Kristen Haertlein came up big for the team with 13 saves on the night. Next up, the Bruins will return home as they prepare for an important region matchup against Toccoa Falls College on Saturday night in Greenville.
