The Lady Bruins finished their preseason play on Saturday night as the team fell 1-0 to Anderson University (NCAA DII) in a hard fought match. The team was coming off a 4-0 loss to the Citadel 4-0 in their opening exhibition match.
"We worked very hard against a very mobile and pressuring team ," Bruins Head Coach Chris Carmichael said. "We had several opportunities tonight but we need to do better in our midfield play. Overall, it was a good performance for us."
Last season, the Lady Bruins squared off against the Trojans in preseason with Anderson University getting the upper hand early and often in a 6-0 match. The 1-0 loss on Saturday night proved just how far the team has come since last season.
From the opening kickoff, the Trojans came out aggressive and pushed the ball into the attacking third. The Bruins defense stood strong as they forced AU into tough shots and Jessica Baun made several saves to keep the Trojans off the scoreboard. Offensively, the Bruins generated some looks, but the team couldn't maintain a consistent scoring threat. The two teams ended the half as they began it tied 0-0.
In the second half, the Bruins were able to get several more opportunities on frame, but couldn't find the back of the net. The Trojans had opportunities of their own but the Bruins defense again matched the attackers step for step. With just 10 minutes left to play in the match, the Trojans finally broke the scoreless tie as they scored to take a 1-0 lead. The Bruins couldn't find the equalizer as the Trojans held on for a 1-0 win.
"We will use our first few regular season matches to continue to get a look at players in different positions," Coach Carmichael said. "I was proud of our performance tonight against a very strong NCAA DII team."
The Bruins will open the 2017 season on the road August 26 as they play Reinhardt University in Waleska, Georgia.
