KSU’s #13 Paris McCulloch takes possession of the ball. Fifth-Third Stadium, September 10th, 2025. Photo Credit: KSU Athletics
After a long time away from home, the Owls returned to Walens Family Field at Fifth Third Stadium on Saturday night to defeat conference rival Jacksonville State 2-1.
The Owls came into the matchup still looking for their first Conference USA win of the season.
“It’s great for the seniors and it’s great for this team,” Owls coach Chris Cahill said. “I think we finally put both sides of the game together. We had a little mistake in the first half, but the energy that we showed in the final third ended up giving us two goals.”
The match saw little offense for most of the first half, with both teams fighting for possession and not too many shot opportunities. Only three combined shots on goal were seen in the half.
The Gamecocks got close to scoring on two different occasions late in the half, but the shots fell wide of the net.
The first goal of the night came in the 42nd minute when Jacksonville State midfielder Lara Aiken scored off an assist from defender Lea Monteiro, for Aiken’s second goal of the year.
The score at the halfway point was 1-0 in the Gamecocks’ favor.
The Owls answered almost immediately after leaving the locker room, tying the score early in the second half on a goal by midfielder Raelyn Prince, her third of the year, in the 50th minute.
KSU nearly took the lead moments later on a shot by Rebecca Womer in the 59th minute, but the ball was saved cleanly by the Gamecocks goalkeeper, keeping the score at 1-1.
The Owls took the lead in the 77th minute on an incredible goal by defender Mackenzie Anuska, assisted by Womer. This was Anuska’s first goal of the season and of her career.
“She is very educated on the game and tries to teach other players what she’s seeing,” Cahill said. “For her to find a way to keep working through the season to get time and minutes and take advantage of the opportunity and put one in was awesome to see.”
The Gamecocks failed to get past the defensive pressure of the Owls in the final minutes, and the match ended at 2-1.
The final match for the Owls comes on Saturday at home against Middle Tennessee, where they hope to end the year with a victory.
