GAMBIER, Ohio - The Kalamazoo College women's soccer team traveled to face Kenyon on Saturday afternoon (Sept. 10). After scoring the first two goals, the Hornets held on to complete their first win of the season over the Owls by a 2-1 score.
The first half was entirely dominated by the Hornets, as the defense did not allow a single shot in the first 45 minutes. On the other side, the offense shot the ball nine times, with three having a chance to score. Then, just before halftime, Ellie Andrews put away the first collegiate goal of her career. After a corner kick bounced around in the box, Andrews gathered the ball and deposited it under the crossbar with seconds left on the clock. That allowed Kalamazoo to take a 1-0 lead into the locker room at halftime.
"That was the goal of the day for us," said Head Coach Bryan Goyings. "It was a phenomenal tight angle shot to give us the lead heading into halftime."
The play in the second half was more balanced as each team shot the ball five times a piece. However, only one of those shots was on the frame for the Hornets, and three were for the Owls. The one shot that had a chance to go in for Kalamazoo did in the 81st minute as Cassidy Short scored her third goal of the season. The goal snuck into the top right-hand corner for the 2-0 lead. Kenyon responded off the kickoff less than 10 seconds later to pull within one of the Hornets. The defense clamped down and preserved the 2-1 victory in Kalamazoo's first of five straight road games.
Coach Goyings also commented, "Standouts on the day include Maddie Coffman along our back line, as well as Savera Rajendra-Nicolucci and Anna Murphy controlling the midfield in the second half."
Lexi Nesbitt (1-1-2) got her first win in the net this season after making two saves on three opportunities. The Hornets outshot the Owls 14-5, and Kenyon had more fouls by a 7-2 margin, while both teams had two saves and three corner kicks a piece.
"We have struggled in the past on our Ohio road trips. I believe our last win was at the start of the 2013 season. I am proud of the team today and their collective effort. I thought we got stronger throughout the game today. The finish was a little frantic with teams exchanging goals late, but it was a well-earned win," said Coach Goyings.
Kalamazoo will have a short turnaround with a game at Denison tomorrow (Sept. 11). Kickoff is set for 1 p.m., Granville, Ohio.