A pair of goals helped Kennesaw State seal a 2-0 home win over Liberty in their Atlantic Sun Conference opener on Friday, Sept. 21, before they fell to North Alabama on Sunday.
There was plenty of back-and-forth action in Friday’s match as both sides maintained a highly defensive battle. Jenna Vollrath scored her fourth goal of the season on 21 minutes after taking control of a shot deflected off the crossbar by Isabella Contreras.
The Flames had just five shots on goal in total while the Owls had only four, further emphasizing the stout back line on each team. Aside from the two goals, both sides controlled the ball well during the match as they mirrored each other to keep possession. Goalkeeper Tiffany Sornpao had yet another impressive outing as the redshirt sophomore totaled five saves.
Almost nearing the final whistle on 88 minutes, Kendall Higgs solidified the score to make it 2-0 from a wide open net.
“I was just really pleased with our team’s composure tonight and the way it regrouped from the Mercer game,” said head coach Benji Walton. “I felt better about this game, we had more depth in possession and our control overall seemed more in sync.”
This win marks the fifth win at home for the Owls as they remained undefeated at Fifth Third Bank Stadium.
The Owls traveled to Florence, Ala. on Sunday, Sept. 23, to take on North Alabama.
A 30-yard goal from Contreras on 66 minutes was not enough to overcome the two-goal deficit the Owls allowed beforehand.
The Lions scored early on, claiming the lead just after the 10-minute mark. Three minutes after extending their lead on 63 minutes, North Alabama conceded the goal to KSU but the Owls were unable to equalize before full time.
Sornpao added three more saves against the Lions.
“I thought we played one of our more complete games of the season today,” Walton said. “We are disappointed with the loss but I think we can certainly build off how we played tonight.”
KSU will continue conference action on Friday, Sept. 28, at home as they take on Jacksonville University at 6:30 p.m. The game will be live-streamed on the Facebook page and Youtube channel for KSU Athletics.
