Greenville, S.C. – Freshman
Kate Kuzemka netted her first career goal in the 78
th minute and junior
Reese DeJong stopped five shots to guide Furman to a 1-0 victory over Presbyterian Thursday night on Seagraves Field at Stone Soccer Stadium.
The victory, which improved the Paladins to 4-2-0 on the year, marked Furman's third straight shutout and fourth clean sheet in its last five matches. Presbyterian slipped to 2-2-1 on the season.
With the match scoreless in the 78
th minute, the Paladins earned a corner kick. Freshman
Sierra Davis curled a left-footed set piece to the top of the six-yard box where Kuzemka rose above the defense to nod a shot into the center of the net at the 77:16 mark.
"It definitely wasn't our best soccer tonight, but we accomplished our goals of getting the win and getting the shutout," said Paladin head coach
Andrew Burr. "The bonus was that a lot of players earned playing time and continued to grow. We will rest, rehydrate, and turn our focus to Charleston Southern on Sunday."
DeJong kept Furman's shutout run alive with two outstanding saves in the second half. The Huntersville, N.C., native tipped Sydney Stoner's goal-bound shot over the bar in the 70
th minute before coming off her line to deny Katy Verdery in the one-versus-one situation just five minutes later.
After Furman grabbed the lead,
Maddie Massie looked to double the margin only to have her strike from the left side of the box cleared off the goal line by a Presbyterian defender in the 82
nd minute. The Paladins held PC to just two shot attempts over the final 13 minutes to hold onto the victory.
Total shots went in favor of Furman by a 14-9 count with the Paladins and Blue Hose each registering five shots on goal. The Paladins earned 11 corner kicks to only three for Presbyterian.
Furman returns to action Sunday afternoon at Charleston Southern. Kickoff at CSU Soccer Stadium is set for 3 p.m. and the match will be streamed live on ESPN+.
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