The Bob Jones University Bruins women's soccer team played to their third consecutive 0-0 draw against North Carolina Wesleyan University in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, showcasing a strong effort and resilience down the stretch.
"This was another hard-fought match, and I am beyond impressed with the effort and work rate which will bode well as we move into our next few games," said Head Coach Chris Carmichael.
The Bruins kicked off Saturday's contest against North Carolina Wesleyan University less than 24 hours at the conclusion of Friday's match against Meredith College.
Three minutes after kickoff, Lydia Howell looked to get the first goal of the game, but a save by North Carolina Wesleyan kept them off the board. Throughout the first half, the Battling Bishops put the pressure on the Bruins and with eight minutes remaining, North Carolina Wesleyan put a high shot on frame as goalkeeper Margaret Cummings stretched to push the ball over the net and keep the score level at zero.
After the halftime break, the Bruins worked hard to keep the ball in the offensive half of the field. After several early shots by the Battling Bishops, Annabelle Gaddis sailed the ball just left of the net. Looking to keep up the momentum, Amelia Peters put another shot on frame followed by another great chance by Shannon Miller.
The Bruins tallied seven shots in the match, with six coming in the second half as the offense pressed for a breakthrough. They created multiple opportunities from set pieces, earning four corner kicks in the second period, but couldn't find the back of the net.
Despite several late chances, the match ended level at zero.
"Even though we struggled to connect and possess the first half of the game, we moved forward and improved the second half," said Shannon Miller. "We created several close chances towards the end of the game. I am proud of the team's work and am looking forward to another opportunity on Monday."
Francesca Aurednik shared her thoughts on the game saying, "we haven't had many practices yet, but we worked hard together as a team and came really close to scoring. I am proud of the effort everyone gave."
Following the game, Carmichael continued his thoughts. "Collectively we have to get sharper technically as our technical part of the game is causing us a lot of challenges which then leads to tactical challenges. Our spacing is off a little but we should be good in a few weeks. With a really short preseason these early season challenges are to be expected. The ideas are there but we need to play quicker and have to definitely sharpen our individual technique for these ideas to be effective, but I am confident we will get there soon."
He continued saying, "I was extremely happy to see us get some great goal scoring opportunities and given a different day we put two of those in the back of the net. We need to get some quick rest due to turnaround time to get ready for our games next week."
Up next, the Bruins are back at Alumni Stadium for a home match against Southern Wesleyan University at 6 p.m.
