Box Score STEUBENVILLE, OH - Up on University hill, the Lady Barons took the field for their home opener. The sun was shining and the fan support was present, as the women's soccer team faced Washington & Jefferson to start out their home matches of the season. Unfortunately, the Presidents' spoiled the night for FUS, as they defeated the Lady Barons, 2-0.
The first half was in the Lady Barons control as they pushed forward with great ball movement yearning to score. FUS had many opportunities with seven corner kicks and 19 shots on goal, but every time the Lady Barons fell a little bit short. "I contribute this to the youth of our team, making some decisions that aren't always the best just because they are inexperienced and this is how you get experience," head coach Clare McBane commented. "You never want to lose, but the truth is this was a great learning experience for us. A game like this helps the girls see exactly where it is breaking down and what they need to fix."
The Lady Barons let down their guard twice tonight allowing for two goals by W&J. Almost 10 minutes into the second half senior Molly Peddicord got an opportunity from the middle of the box and she scored by playing the ball to the left side corner. Later in the half the Presidents again seized on a quick breakaway as sophomore Jordan Toohey sent a low, hard ball to the right corner of the net. The Presidents were stopped from further points by FUS goalie Sarah Leubking who put up a very solid performance. She brought in seven saves, robbing a few visitor members from scoring.
The Lady Barons put up a hard fight and as their coach pointed out they just need to finish. "It's comforting to see that the mistakes are small and fixable."
The Lady Barons look to improve on the final third of their game in the next match on September 14 at Bethany College with a start time of 7:00 pm.
