Box Score
Despite gaining the early advantage, the Lady Bruins couldn't stop the Point University comeback as the Skyhawks scored four goals in the second half to win the match 5-1.
"Although the team overall worked very hard there are moments in the game where we lost our focus centrally and did not press with urgency and gave them too many good looks that resulted in a bunch of goals in the second half," Head Coach Chris Carmichael said. "I was proud of the team for never giving up and were still pressing for a goal even after being down. We just needed absolute focus during those moments in the game."
The Bruins were coming off a hard-fought victory over region-rival Toccoa Falls College on Saturday night. The team had been winners of six of their last seven matches but they knew they would have to be at their best as they battled the Skyhawks of Point University. The Skyhawks came into the game on fire as the team was in the midst of a five-game winning streak.
In the opening minutes, it was the Bruins who looked to silence the home crowd as the team came out strong. The Bruins were able to move the ball into the attacking third and took the lead after Abby Davis scored on a brilliant touch just two minutes into the match. With the lead, the Bruins looked to add to it as they continued to advance up field. Instead, the Skyhawks mounted a counter and found the answer on the foot of Cierra Binns as she tied the game at 1-1. From there, both teams went back and forth exchanging possession and chances. The Skyhawks had several quality looks down the stretch, but Bruins keeper Kristen Haertlein kept the game tied as both teams went into the half locked at 1-1.
"We controlled the first 15 minutes and then once they scored we had too many players not switching into a higher gear in our defensive third and left unmarked players on top of our 18 and they punished us over and over," Coach Carmichael said. "We spoke to our team at the half and told them they had to find a way to turn the switch on and get into a higher gear on the defensive side of the ball if we were going to be successful."
In the second half, the Skyhawks came out strong in the opening minutes as they quickly moved into position to score. Offensively, the Bruins struggled to create chances which allowed the Skyhawks to mount quick counter attacks. Point University would gain their first lead of the night in the 56th minute as Celly Ruiz scored to give the Skyhawks a 2-1 advantage. The Bruins looked to recover, but their combination play was turned aside as the team was searching for answers.
With the match drawing to a close, the Skyhawks added some insurance to their lead with back to back goals in the 68th minute by Taylor Beasley to give Point a 4-1 advantage. The team never looked back as they added an additional goal just before the match ended to come away with a 5-1 victory over the Bruins.
"What is most concerning today was not losing but that we did so without collectively defending compact enough," Coach Carmichael said. "We did have some players that were focused and playing very well and giving full effort but too many were not playing smart and technically breaking down. As the head coach this all falls on me and I will do my best to make sure the team understands what they need to do in order to compete at a high level."
With the loss, the Bruins fall to 6-4 on the season. Next up, the team will be on the road again as they Johnson University in Knoxville, Tennessee on October 4.
