By Jonathan Hicks, Staff Writer
Looking to bounce back from a tough two-game road trip that included a 2-2 draw against Stetson and a 1-0 loss to Florida Gulf Coast, Kennesaw State split its Atlantic Sun Conference home stand this weekend with a 2-1 win over North Florida and a 1-0 defeat to Jacksonville.
Despite their troubles on the road, KSU (5-9-2, 2-3-1 A-Sun) returned home Friday in style. Both the Owls and the Ospreys are vying for a spot in the A-Sun playoffs, so each side came out in a high press looking to attack.
The play got more physical as the game wore on as both sides pushed to find the opening goal. The Owls broke the deadlock in the 65 minute after Carly Pressgrove drove down the right side and sent in a cross that was met by the head of Kim Fincher, notching her first of the night.
The Ospreys equalized in the 78 minute with a shot from substitute Krista Colubiale. After receiving the ball to the right of the goal, Fincher scored the winner in the 84 minute when her shot from the top of the box beat UNF goalkeeper Susie Ford to give the Owls the win.
“Kim’s had a fantastic season for us, it was a great goal with the first one, a fantastic ball in from Carly and she rose and got her head to that one well,” KSU head coach Rob King said. “She had her back to goal on the second and she turned and hit it just perfectly. Unless she hit it just like that, it wouldn’t have gone in.”
With 10 seconds left in the match, the Ospreys rushed to take a corner that forced a save off the line from Hannah Churchill to seal the game for the Owls, despite arguments from the Ospreys players that the ball crossed the line.
“It was a little bit troubling at the end of the game there,” King said. “We played so well for almost 90 minutes and we just got a little panicky at the end of the game. We need to learn to finish games out. When we work that hard for 89 minutes we need to make sure we win those.”
KSU carried that momentum into the first half of Sunday’s matchup against Jacksonville, but it wasn’t enough as the Dolphins escaped Kennesaw with a 1-0 victory.
The Owls had a scoring opportunity slip away in in the 4 minute when Khatra Mahdi put a shot on goal and it was parried by JU goalkeeper Sara Wicks. Maggie Gaughan quickly attempted to bury the rebound, but the ball sailed high over the crossbar.
The Dolphins scored the only goal of the match early in the second half when Marie Weckhurst scored in the 47 minute.
KSU fell to fifth in the A-Sun standings with the loss, but the Owls can clinch a spot in the conference championships with either a win or draw at USC Upstate (2-12-1) Sunday Oct. 25.
Keeping players healthy has been an issues for the Owls this season after a number of complications throughout the season. “We’ve had a little bit of difficulty with some long term injuries and a little problem with sickness last weekend but like I told the girls if we’re healthy we can play with, and beat any team in the conference,” King said.
