JACKSON, Tenn. – A goal by host Union University in the 65
th minute proved to be the difference as the Valdosta State women's soccer team lost 1-0 on the road Friday evening. VSU fell to 3-7-1 overall and 2-6 in Gulf South Conference play, while Union improved to 4-8 overall and 3-6 in league play.
The Blazers held an 18-9 lead in shots and a 9-5 advantage in shots on frame, but were unable to get anything past Union goalkeeper Rylee Iorio who finished with eight saves. VSU junior goalkeeper
Landon Carter made her second-straight start between the posts and finished with four saves.
VSU came out firing early, but Iorio was up to the task with two saves in the first 15 minutes. Senior
Bailey Hern had a great shot, but the Lady Bulldogs came up with the team save at the 19:18 mark. Freshman
Victoria Bahr had a good look moments later, but Iorio answered with her third save of the first half to that point. Carter made her lone save of the first half for the red and black as time expired in the frame off a corner kick by Union, stopping Joslyn Greene's attempt and preserving the scoreless tie.
For the first half, VSU held a 9-3 lead in shots and 5-1 in shots on goal. VSU held a 4-1 lead in corner kicks for the first half, while sophomore
Ansley Decenzo had a team-high four shots with two on target.
Both teams had a shot and save in the first ten minutes of the second half. It was, however, Union's Sylvana Kempka, who had shot and score at the 64:08 mark and assists by Clair Maxon and Ana Duval for a 1-0 lead.
From there, the Blazers had six shots with two on target down the stretch, but were unable to get the equalizer. Sophomore
Molly Wooldridge also had four shots for the match with one on target, while Hern had three shots and two on frame. Eight different Union players had one shot each.
The Blazers head to Memphis, Tenn., for a matchup with Christian Brothers on Sunday at 2 p.m. ET. Fans can access links to live stats and streaming of the match at vstateblazers.com on the women's soccer schedule page.
