The Lady Bruins soccer team ended the 2020 season on a high note as the team shutout #7 Carolina University 3-0 in their final pool play match of the NCCAA DI National Tournament in Kissimmee, Florida. The Bruins finish the season at 6-8 overall.
"We were able to have a strong showing today to get our first win at a DI National Tournament," Bruins Head Coach Chris Carmichael said. "This was a great opportunity for the team to experience what it means to compete at DI and no doubt the strength of our team is that we are really young with mostly freshman and sophomores and this will bode well for years to come."
The Bruins came into Friday's match after back to back losses to #3 Campbellsville University and #2 Dallas Baptist University earlier in the week. Those two losses officially eliminated the Bruins from championship contention, but the team was hoping to finish the season strong as they faced #7 Carolina University.
The Bruins had played Carolina twice this season with the Bruins winning both games. Carolina came into Thursday's match after back to back losses in their first two pool play matches. Both teams were stepping on the pitch for the final time this season, and both wanted to end the season with a win.
In the opening minutes, both teams went back and forth trading possession as each tried to get into their rhythm of play. It didn't take long for the Bruins to find the back of the net as Brinkley Adams scored to make it 1-0 just five minutes into the game.
Just minutes later, Adams came up big for the Bruins again as she found Abby Herr for a goal to make it 2-0 near the midway point of the first half. The Bruins also stood strong defensively, holding Carolina to just three shots throughout the first half. As the first half came to a close, the Bruins went into the break with a two-goal lead.
In the second half, the Bruins came out looking to extend their lead while Carolina hoped to break into the scoring column. Brinkley Adams and Jenna Bishop each had chances on frame, but their shots sailed wide of the net.
Carolina came back on the counter but again the Bruins back line stood strong as they turned aside several opportunities. With the match coming to a close, the Bruins extended their lead as freshman Allison Luvullo scored her first goal of the season with a low shot past the keeper to make it 3-0. From there, the Bruins held on to complete the clean sheet as they defeated Carolina University 3-0.
The Bruins out shot Carolina 15-5 in the match including a 10-2 margin on goal. Brinkley Adams led the Bruins witha goal and an assist while Angelina Martin completed her fourth clean sheet of the season.
The Bruins faced adversity in the 2020 season with many unknowns due to the COVID pandemic and a difficult schedule after transitioning to Division I of the NCCAA. The team recorded just the second losing season in program history and the first since their inaugural 2012 season.
Still, the Bruins worked hard and showed improvement with each passing game. The team graduated just one senior and returns a core group of players to next year's lineup as the team looks to once again contend for a national title.
"We know what we did wrong this season and what worked well and we need to work a lot on the areas that need to be fixed and continue to improve upon those areas that we do well and make them excellent," Coach Carmichael said. "This is a great team and I have no doubt they will experience success at this tournament before they graduate."
