The Kennesaw State women’s soccer team faced Wofford College on Sunday, Sept. 19 at Fifth Third Bank Stadium, winning 3-1.
It was an excellent showing for the owls as they came out firing with shots, getting three of them into the back of the net.
In the first 10 minutes of the game KSU senior forward Lexie Labonte scored an easy tap-in that was ricocheted off the woodwork by sophomore Tiana Rivera. The Terriers ended up tying it up late in the first half to make it 1-1.
The Owls came out after halftime playing more aggressively than they did in the first half. With just over 28 minutes remaining in the second half, a corner was set up for KSU. This was their chance to take the lead. Kathryn Schreck, a senior, took the corner, resulting in a bounce, and Erin Miller scored her second goal of the season with an assist from Schreck.
With 22 minutes remaining on the clock Tianna Rivera got the ball past half field. She dribbled right past her opponent with an open field ahead. She turned on the burners, dribbling and looking for her first goal on the season. She got past the top of the box, her eyes on the goal, and with a Wofford defender closing in, took her shot from her left foot. It rolled into the bottom right corner without being touched and hit the back of the net, scoring Rivera’s first goal of the season and bringing the score to 3-1.
Neither team scored after that and the game ended 3-1, the Owls gaining their third victory of the season. Their win was partly due to an amazing game by goalkeeper Dylan Pixton, a senior, who had seven saves total.
This was the Owls biggest win of the season thus far, and they are hoping to keep this momentum going into their next home game against North Alabama, which will be their first ASUN Conference match of the season, and their third home game of their four-game home stretch.
“We gotta go out and challenge them,” coach Benji Watson said when asked about the upcoming match, “They have a midfielder or two that will create problems out of that area. We have to answer the bell and if we don’t, they’ll come at us.”
The Owls, who are now 3-4 on the season, will look for their fourth win of the year when they host North Alabama on Thursday, Sept. 23, at 7 p.m.
