Megan Brubaker's goal in the 86th minute propelled the BJU Lady Bruins to a 1-0 victory over the Emory & Henry College Wasps on Tuesday night at Alumni Stadium.
Coming off a 0-0 draw on Friday night against Columbia International University, the Lady Bruins were motivated to come out with a win this time around. BJU was able to win the battle of possession in the first half, creating several scoring opportunities but were unable to convert any of them into a goal.
The Bruins outshot the Wasps 11 to 6 in the first half, and 27 to 9 throughout the entire match, but the halftime score remained 0-0. At the start of the second half junior forward Kayla Romeiser got by the Wasps' back line, but her shot just sailed wide. Just a few minutes later senior Abby Davis' shot deflected off the Wasps' goalkeeper Kieran Liseski. The ball landed at the feet of freshman forward Ally Sigmon, but her shot opportunity was deflected as well.
"We did a great job of possessing the ball tonight," Bruins Head Coach Chris Carmichael said. "Staying patient helped us create several opportunities to score."
The Wasps were able to create a scoring opportunity of their own in the 78th minute. Forward Gillian Hogg played a through ball to Callie McMurray, but McMurray's shot was just wide of the goal, keeping the score tied at 0-0.
In the 86th minute freshman midfielder Caroline Hartzler played a through ball to junior Megan Brubaker. She was able to beat a Wasp defender, and launched a shot from outside the 18. Her shot sailed over goalkeeper Kieran Liseski into the back of the net to give the Lady Bruins a 1-0 lead with four minutes to go, which proved to be the game-winner as the Lady Bruins held on for the victory.
"This was a huge win for our team tonight," Coach Carmichael said. "We stayed patient and allowed the game to come to us, good job playing as a team."
Brubaker's goal was her first of the year as the Bruins climb back to .500 on the season at 4-4-2. The BJU Lady Bruins will be back in action on Friday night against region rival Toccoa Falls College. The match will kickoff at 7 p.m. in Toccoa Falls, Georgia.
