VALDOSTA, Ga. - The Valdosta State soccer team's efforts were eventually rewarded, as the Blazers survived a rainy night in Valdosta, Ga. to beat Gulf South Conference opponent No. 15 North Alabama 2-1 on Friday night at The VSU Soccer Complex in thrilling fashion.
The continuous rain on Friday night provided the perfect scenery for a booming finish at the VSU Soccer Complex. The first half kicked off with both teams focusing on defensive work and keeping their opponent far away from trouble. The Blazer defense put up a gutsy effort in the early minutes of the game and senior goalkeeper McCall Gardner had her work cut out for her to deny the fast breaking strikers of UNA, who attempted 16 shots overall on the night.
The Blazers nearly took a first half lead when Ava Scott Moncrief took a shot from 40 yards out for a near miss. Shortly after, UNA's star forward Chloe Richards, who entered the contest with 14 goals on the season, attempted two shots on goal in the 43rd minute, but Gardner held strong to keep the Lions in check.
In the second half, the battle continued with several chances on both sides. Shelby Jennings offered up a beautiful cross for a potential opportunity at the 65:33 minute mark, but the opportunity came up empty. In the ensuing minutes, the Blazers were forced to continue their great defensive effort, while attempting to counter the Lions' attack.
In the final quarter of the game, the Lions amped up the pressure, and at the 82:00 minute mark, the Lions' offense found a hole in VSU's defense when Kylie Huey scored on a breakaway to give a late 1-0 advantage to the Lions.
Just four minutes after falling behind, the Blazers answered with an equalizer. After several blocked shots, the Lions were charged with a hand penalty in the box, which resulted in a booming conversion by Ava Scott-Moncrief to even the score at 1-1.
With just two more minutes remaining, the Blazers fought hard for the upset, and their efforts were rewarded when Suvi Savolainen transformed a great pass from Monk Imamura into a deciding goal, resulting in a 2-1 conference victory over North Alabama.
The VSU women's soccer team will now travel to Clinton, Mississippi to play conference rival Mississippi College on Sunday, October 4th at 2:00 p.m., before hosting Tampa on Friday, Oct. 9th at 7:00 p.m.
