The UCA women’s soccer team (3-5-2, 2-0-0 ASUN) took a 5-0 victory against the Kennesaw State Owls (1-5-3, 0-2-0 ASUN) after commanding an aggressive and persistent offensive at their Sept. 17 conference home opener.
Coach Jeremy Bishop said, “We did a great job of taking what was given to us. Being able to possess the ball and make them chase was something that we felt like we could do today and we did a good job of that.”
“It was really a good possession-oriented game, which is the way we like to play. [We] haven’t been able to do that as much this year,” Bishop said.
“I thought we were really good pressing today and did a good job of squeezing their back line, making them turn the ball over in their defensive, which gave us some good scoring chances,” Bishop said.
In the first 15 minutes, junior midfielder Kelly Van Gundy scored the first goal of the match with assistance from midfielder graduate student Sydney Brough and junior forward Anna Kerr, a play that Bishop said was one highlight of the game.
Brough said, “I think what my coach said, Jeremy [Bishop], that first goal, that’s something that we’ve been working on since I’ve been here my freshman year, literally four years.
“We call it like a three-man weave basically, so winning the ball and immediately going forward and doing a give and go. To me, that was beautiful soccer,” she said.
The second goal of the afternoon was curved into the top right corner of the goal by junior defender Gabby Thies, just grazing the tips of sophomore Owl goalie Allanah Blye’s fingertips.
In the second half, UCA freshman midfielder Megan Moudy landed the third point of the afternoon after receiving a quick pass from sophomore forward Trace Pavatt.
Soon after Brough made the fourth goal, a pushing match ensued between UCA’s sophomore defender Marleigh Moss and the Owls’ freshman midfielder Anabel Orozco, resulting in both players receiving yellow card penalties.
In less than two game minutes after her first goal, Brough would land a ball just under the crossbar, another goal for the Bears and her second goal of the game.
Brough, who took five of UCA’s 17 shots, said, “I think that during preseason, we weren’t a very offensive-minded team. We were just very defensive and couldn’t really get our shots. So, I think now that we’re in conference … we can’t just tie games. When we do have the opportunity, we have to take it even if it’s not a perfect shot.”
“If you have a half a step on a player, you just take that shot. I think that’s important that we do get the shots off in games because that’s obviously what wins games,” Brough said.
Brough said, “It’s so important for us not to get too high. That’s something that Jeremy [Bishop] always talks about. We just had two big wins, the first two games of ASUN.
“It’s important to not get overconfident and we have to know the team that we’re playing Thursday is going to be a very hard match, so we have to go into it, clear our minds and just focus,” she said.
Bishop said, “I think right now we’re doing a lot of things well, so it’s just a matter of being consistent so that we can do that game in and game out. I know Florida Gulf Coast will be a really tough match. They’re probably going to be considered one of the favorites for the ASUN this year. So we’re gonna have to play another great game.”
The Bears will face the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles on home turf Sept. 21 at 7 p.m.
Sophomore forward Lea Duus Madsen protects the ball from the Owl defender.