Julien Benjamin (Staff Writer)
The Kennesaw State women’s soccer team (2-4-1) returned home to Fifth Third Bank Stadium for the second time this season, but was unable to pick up their first home win of the season as they fell 3-0 to Southern Conference opponent Furman University on Friday evening.
The Owls were shutout for the second time this season, as the team failed to convert on several goal-line kicks. Seventeen minutes into the contest, sophomore Shannon Driscoll missed high above the goal on what would have been a game-tying kick for KSU. The Owls would end up being out-shot by the Furman Paladins 19 to 11, including a three kick margin on shots on goal.
“Just a very, very poor first half performance today,” head coach Rob King remarked after the game. “We went a goal down early again, and the players became anxious to make up for their mistakes and gave them more easy chances. We can’t defend like that against a good team.”
Furman would score all three goals within the first 33 minutes of the match, with junior Stephanie DeVita picking up her fourth goal of this 2014 season, and 38th career goal in 51 collegiate games when she kicked the opening goal seven minutes into the contest. Teammate Carlie Couch, a sophomore, would add a second goal with 12 minutes to go in the opening half. Just three minutes later, true freshman Molly Dwyer would collect the final goal off of a corner kick, her third goal of the season. That would set the final game score of 3-0.
In the second half, the Owls would pitch a shutout defensively, allowing just two shots on goal during the period. Sophomore goalkeeper Olivia Sturdivant made four saves on the evening, bringing her team high season total to 18. “I spoke to the team at halftime, changed (the gameplan) a little bit and we played better in the second half, but it still wasn’t the level of performance we need against a good team,” King said.
Speaking on the Owls’ next opponent and the short turnaround required, Coach King replied “Memphis is a very good team, so we’re going to have to have a good performance. Hopefully the players that started the game will have their legs back.”
The Owls will play the Memphis Tigers on Sunday at 5 p.m. at Fifth Third Bank Stadium.
