Chris Raimondi—Sports Editor
Kennesaw State’s soccer team made no bones about their Halloween matchup Friday night against Jacksonville in the first round of the Atlantic Sun tournament as the Owls put together an offensive explosion in their 5-0 win.
The win marked KSU’s highest goal total in a game for the season and also tied the largest margin of victory in an A-Sun quarterfinals match.
“The best we’ve played all year,” KSU head coach Rob King said. “It’s a good time to be playing well.”
After securing the team’s spot in the tournament in the final game of the season with the deciding goal against USC Upstate, senior Alma Gardarsdottir played the hero again for the Owls. The Iceland native netted her second goal of the year on a header in the second minute of Friday’s game off of a cross from freshman Marit Sandtroeen. “Alma has been really good in the last couple of games,” King said. “She has not played as an offensive player for a couple of years. She’s been playing back, so for her to get a goal in the [Upstate game] and get a goal last night to start things off was very good.”
The early goal proved to be all KSU needed, but the Owls never let off the gas.
The game settled following Gardarsdottir’s goal until redshirt-sophomore Danielle Gray interrupted the scoring drought moments before half time with a free-kick from 50 yards out. The ball skipped off the Dolphins keeper and into the back of the net. The Owls took a 2-0 lead into the locker room.
Coming out of intermission with a comfortable lead, KSU stayed hungry for more goals, taking twice as many shots than in the first period. The Owls defense only allowed Jacksonville to take five shots in the second half while KSU goalkeeper Olivia Sturdivant had a quiet night, collecting just two saves in her third shutout of the season.
With 15 minutes remaining in the contest, a group of unlikely heroes emerged for KSU. Gray scored her second goal of the night and season after converting a penalty kick in the 77th minute when the Dolphins were called for a handball in the box. Ten minutes later, freshman Khatra Mahdi notched her first career goal as an Owl on a chip from inside the box, only to record her first ever assist less than a minute later.
Mahdi sent a cross to Gardarsdottir, who then passed the ball along to senior Julia Nelson to finish the play for Nelson’s second goal of the season and the last of the five goals.
KSU totaled 18 shots with nine on goal compared to the Dolphins nine shots and two on goal.
King noted his senior leadership is shining through when it most matters. “We’ve got the senior leadership up front in the attacking position and then Iyani has been playing great,” King said. “She’s a senior. She wants this thing to go as long as it can, so she is playing with an intensity and a focus that the others are looking to.” King also mentioned the gritty effort recently put forth by senior Nicole Calder, who has been playing with a torn ACL. “She’s playing in a brace and was able to get on and contribute.”
The Owls’ run continues on Friday Nov. 7 in the semifinal round against No. 2 seed Lipscomb in Fort Myers, Florida at the FGCU Soccer Complex.
Lipscomb won the only matchup of the season against KSU 3-0 in Nashville on Sept. 27. However, since then the Owls have outscored opponents 10-5.
“We didn’t feel we played our best soccer against Lipscomb,” King said. “But Lipscomb hasn’t seen the best of us. We are a long way away from the last time we met.”
