EMORY, Va. – The Covenant College Women's Soccer Team (1-3) netted two second-half goals en route to a 2-1 win over Emory & Henry College (0-3) Friday evening in the 2014 E&H Soccer Invitational at Fred Selfe Stadium. It was the first-ever meeting between the two schools in women's soccer.
The match was a physical back-and-forth struggle at both ends of the pitch as control of the midfield remained in flux for the majority of the 90 minutes. While the Scots held a 21-7 advantage on the shot chart, those numbers do not reflect the opportunities that were just out of the reach of the Wasps.
After a scoreless first half, Covenant got on the board in the 55th minute. Jenna Vreeland sent a long vertical pass ahead to Anna Porch. Porch was able to drive the final portion of the way down the field and slot a shot to the back post.
Twelve minutes later, the Scots earned a corner kick. Jessica Rowe swung the ball in from the right side and found Porch in the six-yard box, who finished with a header to give Covenant a 2-0 advantage.
A few moments later, Emory & Henry won a corner kick of its own. Junior forward Emily Belanger (Tampa, Fla.) set up on the right side. Her service was perfect as it dipped into the goal at the upper 90 of the back post, safely away from any defenders.
Now down by only one goal, the Wasps began to be more aggressive on the attack, pushing forward against the Scots. Emory & Henry had multiple opportunities in the final 20 minutes of play, including a one-on-one with the goalkeeper by senior forward Bethany Myer (Hickory, N.C.) that had the home crowd on their feet, but the final margin was to remain 2-1 in favor of Covenant.
E&H freshman goalkeeper Kayla Wright (Franklin County, Va.) made nine saves in her home debut while Lucy Johnson of Covenant stopped two shots to earn the win. The Wasps forced the Scots offside on three different occasions, compared to just one violation of their own.
Emory & Henry will next compete on Sunday morning at 11:00 a.m., against Marymount University. The squads will meet for just the second time ever, with the first meeting coming early in the 2004 season. The match will be the first of a doubleheader with the Wasps' men's team.
---E&H---
- photo courtesy of Rick Elliott