The Bruins women’s soccer team faced the Toccoa Falls College Eagles Friday, Sept. 19 at home and suffered their second loss of the season, with a final score of 0-1.
The Bruins played in a different formation Friday night, putting three defenders in the back, rather than four. With this setup, the team hoped to strategically increase numbers in the midfield to add support and control of the field.
The Bruins started off the game peppering the Eagles’ goal and making their presence known. They consistently kept the ball on the Eagles end of the field, but they were unable to execute on any of their scoring opportunities.
The Eagles’ offense managed to spread open the Bruins defense at times, but they could not outdo goalkeeper Tori Anderson and her backline of defenders. With all the unfinished shots, the pressure built for the players on both sides, and as the clock ticked down to halftime, the urgency to score intensified. But, by the end of halftime, neither team had been able to finish off their opportunities.
The second half started out like the first; the Bruins women worked hard to finish but were unable to get the ball into the back of the net.
With 15 minutes left in the second half, Eagles’ forward Liz Rice broke the silence. She effectively sliced open the defense, but this time the back line could not extinguish the attack, and Rice found the back of the net.
After the Eagles scored, the Bruins looked to bounce back with energy and efficient ball control, persistently attacking the goal and making great passes as they spread the field. Midfielder Natasha Walters was determined to score; however, the Eagles collapsed in on her repeatedly and made it impossible for her to take a good shot.
In the last 10 seconds of the game, the Bruin fans were on their feet as BJU dribbled the ball up the field and set up for a shot. The shot looked promising, but a player from TFC kicked the ball and deflected it out of play. The clock ran out, resulting in the Bruins’ second loss of the season.
“It’s never fun to lose on your home turf,” said keeper Tessa Hoskinson, “especially when we came into the game knowing we had the talent and ability to win. Coach encouraged us to keep our heads up and come out playing hard in Saturday’s game.”