Jacksonville, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Dolphins jumped out to a 2-0 lead and held off a late Furman rally to claim a 2-1 victory and snap the Paladins' five-match winning streak on Sunday afternoon at Southern Oak Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla.

The loss, Furman's first since August 30, dropped the Paladins to 7-3-0.  The Dolphins improved to 2-5-1.

Less than seven minutes into the match, Jessica Shaffelburg launched a would-be cross from outside the 18-yard box over the head of Paladin keeper Maggie Grisell and into the corner of the net to put JU in front 1-0.  

The Dolphins, who outshot Furman 13-7 over the opening 45 minutes, added to their lead in the 69th minute.  Chanci Roseberry played a cross from the right side to the near side of the six-yard box.  Grisell charged off her line to punch the cross clear, but Christen Barney flicked a header past the goalkeeper that trickled into the far corner of the net.

Furman pulled a goal back less than two minutes from full time as Kristian Leone beat the JU keeper one-versus-one for her first collegiate goal.

"It's always tough to win on the road, but we need to overcome a run of lethargic performances on Sunday afternoons," said Furman head coach Andrew Burr, who has seen his team suffer all three of its losses this season in Sunday afternoon games following a Friday night victory. "We will go back to work and prepare for a crucial Southern Conference weekend on the road next week."

The Dolphins finished with a 23-14 lead in total shots and 7-5 edge in shots on target.

Sara Wicks stopped four Furman shots to earn the victory in goal for Jacksonville, while Grisell record five saves in a losing effort for Furman.  The loss was the first in seven decisions in goal for Grisell.

Furman travels to Samford and Chattanooga next weekend to open Southern Conference play before hosting VMI and UNCG the following weekend.



Jordan Caskey, Furman Sports Information