STEUBENVILLE – The Franciscan University women's soccer team notched its second win of the season in exciting fashion, beating the Bison of Bethany College 1-0 Wednesday evening. The Lady Barons, now 2-3 overall on the season, took their 12-day hiatus from soccer to get back to the fundamentals, and saw their hard work pay off in the game.

"I'm very proud of my girls," said head coach Johann Marin. "We saw the fruits of our labors in action. It was a cohesive effort. We took this break to work on reforming our mentality. We really hit the classroom."

The outcome was not guaranteed in the first half, as both teams played at an even strength for all 45 minutes. The Bison outshot Franciscan 6-1, but neither team was able to capitalize on any opportunities. The Lady Barons received great defensive play from Ann Duran, Marian Weber, and Kelsey Bowers. The half ended with the score at 0-0.

"This was not an easy win. Bethany played well. I have a lot of respect for their team and coach. But our girls worked hard. This was a much needed win and we played to win tonight," Marin said.

The second half picked up where the first half left off, with neither team taking command of the game. With the clock at 51:53, Clare Grchan sent a soaring shot from 25 yards away just over of the reach of Bethany goalkeeper Julie Brady to give Franciscan the 1-0 lead.

But Bethany remained relentless, becoming extremely aggressive on the field. The Bison outshot the Lady Barons 11-3 on the half, but Franciscan's defense held strong, lead by goalkeeper Lauren Koath.

The Lady Barons will look to build off the win as they prepare for their first Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference game of the season this Saturday. Franciscan will host Medaille College with game time set for 1:00 p.m.