McPherson, Kan. – The McPherson College women's soccer team hosted the Avila University Eagles on Senior Day at McPherson Stadium. The Bulldogs were playing for their five seniors, while the Eagles were playing for a spot in the KCAC playoffs.
The game was scoreless through the first 27 minutes of action, but then in the 28
th minute, the Eagles got on the scoreboard, when reserve player, Shelby Brown slipped through the middle of the Bulldog defense and slotted a ball past
Christie Silber (So. Simi Valley, Calif.), who was in goal for the home team. That was the only score of the half, and the Bulldogs went into halftime trailing the Eagles 1-0.
The Eagles would stretch their lead to 2-0, just 13 minutes into the second half. An Eagle player attempted to cross the ball from the right side. Silber came off her line to take the ball out of the air, but appeared to misjudge the flight of the ball. As the ball hit the turf, she was also partially screened by a teammate, and the ball squirted through to a wide open player, who buried the ball into the back of the net. Silber who dove back toward the ball, was hurt on the play, and left the game. She was replaced in goal by
Abby Jantz (Jr. McPherson, Kan.).
In the 67
th minute, the Eagles added an insurance goal, this one on a corner kick. The Eagles played the ball into the box, between the top of the 18 and the penalty spot. There was a lot of congestion in the middle, but the Eagles' Eden Fridlington connected with the ball, and fired it into the lower right corner of the goal. There were so many bodies in the box and around the ball, the Jantz didn't see the shot, before it went past her into the back of the net.
The Bulldogs got a little bit of a lift, and a little life, late in the half when
Nelly Rodriguez, (Jr. Rancho Cordova, Calif.), played a ball into Eagles' 18 yard box. It looked like an Eagle defender was going to clear the ball, but she misplayed it.
Christina Hall (So. Falls Church, Va.), made a heads up play, completed her run, and when the Eagle defended failed to clear the ball, she found herself one on one with the keeper and the ball on her foot. As the keeper came off her line, Hall calmly slotted the ball into the side netting, trimming the Eagle deficit to 3-1.
Unfortunately it was too little, too late, and the Eagles escaped with a 3-1 victory. After the final whistle, the Bulldogs honored five ladies,
Alexis Lynn,
Brooke Russell,
Cheyann Lake,
Juliana Munoz, and
Ashley Jensen who played their second to last home game in a Bulldog uniform.
They will wrap up their season next Tuesday at home, when they host the Oklahoma Wesleyan University Eagles at McPherson Stadium at 5:00 pm.
