Greenville, S.C. – Five different Paladins found the back of the net, including four in the second half, as Furman pulled away from VMI, 5-1, in Southern Conference women's soccer action Sunday afternoon on Seagraves Field at Stone Soccer Stadium.
With the victory, Furman stretched its unbeaten run to six consecutive matches (4-0-2) and improved to 5-4-2 overall and 1-0-1 in the league. VMI dipped to 4-5-1 overall and 0-2 in SoCon play.
Tied at 1-1 after 45 minutes, the Paladins began their second half drive in the 55
th minute when
Tara Katz collected a failed clearance on the left side of the box following a Furman corner kick and slipped a low shot past the VMI goalkeeper at the 54:49 mark for the eventual match-winning tally. Less than 10 minutes later,
Valentina Mosquera received a pinpoint pass over the top of the defense from
Shania Diaz and cut inside her defender before depositing a shot in the right side of the net at the 63:48 mark to increase the Furman lead to 3-1.
In the 85
th minute,
Norah Roller got around her defender on the left side of the box and was taken down to earn the Paladins a penalty kick which senior
Ashlyn Goila converted at the 84:24 mark.
Lexy Faklaris capped the scoring with her first collegiate goal at 87:53 by tapping in a
Madison Luckett cross inside the six-yard box.
"It's always great to get a win in conference play and we'll continue to work on putting two consistent halves together as we get into the heart of the league schedule," said Paladin head coach
Andrew Burr. "We showed a lot more composure and a better finishing touch in the second half. I really like seeing five different players score today and see so many different players get a chance to play."
Nieva Gaither opened the scoring for Furman in the 16
th minute on assists from
Ellie Herrmann and
Tara Katz before Barrett Callejo equalized for the Keydets at 24:51. Gaither's goal marked her second of the week.
Furman posted a 23-9 advantage in total shots and 13-4 edge in shots on goal. The Paladins also managed a 13-2 margin in corner kicks earned.
Addison Corn and
Reese DeJong each recorded a save in goal for the Paladins, while Whitney Tracy made eight saves for VMI.
Furman continues its three-match homestand on Friday when it hosts preseason SoCon favorite Western Carolina. Kickoff at Stone Stadium is set for 7 p.m.
