VALDOSTA, Ga. – The Valdosta State women's soccer team defeated the Alabama Huntsville Chargers 1-0 Sunday afternoon on senior day. The Blazers improve to 9-4-1 on the season, 6-3-1 in Gulf South Conference play, while the chargers fall to 5-6-2 on the year and 5-3-1 in the GSC.
Before the match, VSU highlighted seniors
Lyana Steele,
Samantha Blanford,
Lauren Hicks,
Kaelyn Jones and
Kyleigh Reedy for their contributions on and off the field the past four years.
VSU got off to a blazing start in the 27
th minute with a goal from freshman forward
Molly Wooldridge, assisted by Jones. Wooldridge recorded her eighth goal of the season and finished the match with three shots, two on goal, and one goal, while Jones rounded out her final regular-season home match with one assist in 50 minutes.
"I'm number eight, so I just had to put away goal number eight today," Wooldridge said on scoring her eighth goal of the season. "We definitely want to continue to win the final few road games. If we keep that up, then we will have a great shot at hosting a post-season playoff game."
The Blazers finished the first 45 minutes with five shots and six corner kicks, while the Chargers went into the locker room with four shots and two corners.
VSU continued the momentum in the second half with Reedy sending a shot just over the crossbar in the 47
th minute, followed by point-blank shots from Hicks in the 51
st minute and sophomore
Mallory Johnson in the 53
rd minute, both saved by UAH's Adriana Wright.
Senior
Samantha Blanford played 87:24 minutes for the Blazers and recorded five saves, including an equalizing shot in the 61
st minute from the Chargers' Nova Schmiedtke. Freshman
Emma Pruett subbed in for Blanford in the 88
th minute and rounded out the second half between the pipes.
The Blazers finished the match with ten shots, six on goal, and six corners, while UAH finished with six shots, five on goal, and three corners, combining for a 1-0 scoreline to end the Blazers' regular-season homestand.
VSU improved to 8-3 all-time with the Chargers and 5-0 at home. The Blazers are back in action on October 29 against Montevallo at 6 p.m. and then on October 31 against Auburn Montgomery at 2 p.m. ET.
To stay up to date on Blazer soccer, visit vstateblazers.com or follow Blazer Athletics on social media.
