EMORY, Va. – The Emory & Henry College Women's Soccer Team (3-10-1, 3-4-1 ODAC) picked up a key win in Old Dominion Athletic Conference play as it defeated Randolph-Macon College (5-8, 3-5 ODAC) by a 1-0 score Friday afternoon at Fred Selfe Stadium.
The Wasps' win over the Yellow Jackets is the first since 2008, and avenges a 5-0 loss on the R-MC campus last year.
The two squads battled back and forth through a scoreless first half with the shot chart even, 5-5. R-MC had a pair of shots on goal in the opening period and also notched four corner kicks. The Yellow Jackets' closest threat to score came late in the 10th minute when Katherine Schwalen hit a shot with the Wasps' goalkeeper out of position, but a defender cleared it off the line.
Emory & Henry, which only had 13 players available for this evening's match, began to take control late in the first half. The Wasps outshot the Yellow Jackets 4-0 in the 10 minutes before the intermission.
After the break, E&H kept the pressure on and began putting shots on frame. The deeper Randolph-Macon side began to crumble as Emory & Henry held a 14-4 shot advantage.
Emory & Henry won a free kick on the left side of the field just outside of the 18-yard box at the 74:59 mark. Senior midfielder Ashlie Caldwell (Blue Ridge, Va.) took the kick and though it appeared as if the goalkeeper would make the save, the shot was just above her outstretched arms and fell into the back of the net for the 1-0 score.
The Wasps nearly got two more goals as Caldwell hit the crossbar with a similar attempt and junior forward Erica Merriman (Cornelius, N.C.) was just wide, hitting the right post. Merriman finished the match with seven shots while Caldwell had six attempts at goal.
E&H freshman Vicki Fenley (Chesapeake, Va.) made three saves as she notched her first collegiate win in goal while R-MC's Elizabeth Blanco stopped four shots despite the loss.
Emory & Henry will travel to Salem, Va., on Thursday to face off against Roanoke College in another key ODAC battle. Kickoff between the Wasps and Maroons is set for 5:00 p.m.
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