The Kennesaw State soccer team started its regular season 1-1-0 after a dramatic extra-time draw against Winthrop University and a 4-3 win over Georgia State University on Sunday night.
Any concern of inexperience from the young team was quickly done away with when three freshmen scored their first collegiate goals against GSU. Senior Ashtah Das scored an 87th minute equalizer to send the Aug. 18 matchup against Winthrop into extra-time.
KSU was evenly matched against Winthrop, with both teams having four shots on goal. The game went scoreless until the 76th minute when Winthrop scored off a free kick opportunity that took a lucky deflection and ended up in the back of the net. The game looked over until Das was able to tie the game up late. Both teams went scoreless in extra time.
“I am really proud of the fight our ladies showed tonight,” said head coach Benji Walton in an interview with KSUOwls.com. “While we would have preferred a win, it’s always good to get a result on the road.”
The more entertaining game this week was the 4-3 shootout against GSU. Three out of the four goal-scorers in the game were freshmen.
The Owls got off to a hot start, scoring all four of their goals in the first half. Sophomore Isabella Contreras opened scoring in the 11th minute, but KSU’s next three goals came from freshmen. Kendall Hart scored her first collegiate goal off a deflection in the 14th minute to give the Owls a 2-0 lead. Freshmen Erin Harris and Kameron Downs followed suit scoring in the 28th and 45th minutes respectively.
GSU made a comeback in the 2nd half with goals from Ashley Thomas and Caitlin Ray, but it was ultimately in vain as KSU held onto a narrow 4-3 win.
“It is always good to get a win especially against a well-organized team like Georgia State,” head coach Benji Walton said in Sunday night’s press conference. “We had moments of some really good soccer, but we need to be more consistent for 90 minutes.”
The Owls’ next game is against in-state rivals Georgia Southern University on Friday, Aug. 25 at Mercer University’s Bear Field beginning at 5:30 p.m.
