VALDOSTA, Ga. - The Valdosta State soccer team capitalized on two set play opportunities and picked up another Gulf South Conference win, as the Blazers defeated the Spring Hill Badgers 2-1 on Sunday afternoon at the VSU Soccer Complex in Valdosta, Ga..
Following a scoreless first half, the Blazers broke the tie in the fifth minute of the second period when
Margaret Stauffer lifted a corner kick to the far side of the goal, where
Leanne Bishop connected with a header into the left corner to give VSU the early 1-0 advantage. The score marked the second of the season for Bishop.
The Badgers answered quickly with a goal by Courtney Harlan, who buried her sixth of the season when she broke away from two defenders toward the left side of the 18-yard box and hooked a shot back to right and into the net to lock the match back up at 1-1.
The battle continued throughout the remainder of the second half, and neither team found the net again until the Blazers struck in the closing minutes. A foul by the Badgers allowed for a free kick opportunity for Stauffer, who served a ball in to Blazer defender
Shelby Jennings for a game-winning header. The goal was Jennings' first of the year, and the assist by Stauffer represented her second of the contest.
"We were disappointed with our loss on Friday, and all of us were really hungry today," said Stauffer. "This is a tough conference, and all of these games are so valuable. We're thankful to get this win."
The victory lifted the Blazers to 5-5-1 overall, but more importantly, the win improved VSU to 5-1-1 in GSC play and increased the squads point total to 16, which places Head Coach
Rebecca Nolin's squad among the league's top teams as the GSC Tournament approaches. Meanwhile, the Badgers fell to 3-7-1 overall and 1-6-1 in the conference.
"Sunday results are always very important because it's the second game of a long two game weekend," said Nolin following the contest. "We created a lot of good chances today which is always a good sign, but now we need to take that next step and finish those chances. We'll be working hard on that this upcoming week during our training sessions."
Valdosta State returns to action on Saturday, October 18 with yet another important GSC matchup against the visiting Union Bulldogs, who will come to Valdosta looking for their first conference win of the 2014 season. The match is scheduled to start at 1:00 p.m. with full coverage available right here at www.vstateblazers.com.
