Following a shutout victory against Toccoa Falls on Tuesday, the Lady Bruins fell to the Covenant College Scots on Saturday at Alumni Stadium. The defeat, 1-0, dropped the team's record to 8-6 for the season. Sadly, the defeat came during Senior Night and in the midst the Homecoming Weekend festivities.
"I thought we defended pretty well most of the game," commented Coach Carmichael. "It is a 90-minute game, and it only takes 10 seconds or less to lose your focus. We watched the goal go in, and we could have defended it much better. But I thought the team did well overall."
The defenses dominated the match early on, as both offenses produced only one shot on goal in the opening 10 minutes. Outside of a promising breakaway and shot on goal by Kayla Romeiser in the 36
th minute, the Bruins struggled to advance the ball deep into Covenant's defense. Thankfully, the Bruins defense held firm and kept the Scots offense out of rhythm during the first half. Angelina Martin collected a handful of saves, and Caroline Hartzler came up with a key block to keep the game tied 0-0 entering halftime.
During the halftime break, seven seniors were honored for their contribution to the team. "They are an amazing group," said Coach Carmichael. "Our success over the last four year has hinged on those players. They've had great leadership off and on the field and they will be sorely missed." The seven seniors included Karina Denisenko, Kristyn Rygh, Megan Brubaker, Bailey Martin, Jennifer Townsend, Kayla Romeiser, and Mikayla Rajcan.
After honoring the seniors at halftime, the Bruins looked to equalize as they came out trailing 1-0. The team looked to possess well and create scoring opportunities. Unfortunately, the exact opposite occurred: after an initial shot by Kyra Duble bounced off the crossbar, Kailey Burrell of the Scots tapped the ball into the net to give Covenant a 1-0 lead.
Following the goal, the Bruins became more aggressive on offense, flooding the Covenant defense. However, the Bruins struggled to connect their passing which prevented them from getting shots on goal during the 2
nd half.
With three minutes left in the match, Megan Brubaker launched a free kick towards the goal but the shot sailed just above the crossbar. In the end, the Scots defeated the Bruins 1-0.
Despite the loss, the Bruins were able to produce 10 shots on goal and 14 shots overall. Emma Snow and Jessica Peterson led the team with two shots on goal each and Angelina Martin also secured five saves during the game.
The team will enjoy a time of rest and preparation before their match against Brevard College October 25 in Brevard, North Carolina.
