Offense Comes Alive in Women Soccer's Rout of Valparaiso
Belmont’s women’s soccer team had a breakout 3-0 victory over the Valparaiso Beacons to snap its five-game losing streak.
A strong Bruin performance led to 19 shots, which were converted into three scores, drastically outperforming the Beacons’ total of three shots.
“Today was just execution, we’ve been playing this well the whole conference season, we’ve dominated four of the last five games in every statistical category except for goals,” said head coach Kelsey Cameron. “We finally executed on our chances.”
The first half of the match saw the Bruins in control offensively but struggling to convert opportunities into goals.
Many moments in the match, such as a shot in the 23rd minute by sophomore Meredith Koltz, came close to scoring but were ultimately stopped short by an effective Beacon defense.
Valparaiso’s goalkeepers, freshman Adria Schultz and junior Salange Bell, made a combined 6 saves and frequently positioned themselves to prevent runs on goals by the Bruins whenever their defense faltered.
Just as the buzzer was preparing to sound to mark a scoreless first half, junior Reagan Ross scored in the 45th minute, assisted by sophomores Banin Patterson and Lydia Johnson, to give Belmont the advantage into the break.
“Lydia put a great ball in and I kinda just flicked it over my shoulder and hoped that it got over the goalie and it did,” said Ross.
At the half, the statistics showed a clear advantage for the Bruins.
The first half saw Belmont take nine shots compared to Valparaiso’s two, and the Bruin defense was able to keep the ball in the Beacon’s half for the majority of the half.
Only a few minutes after the match resumed, Belmont was handed a golden opportunity to bring their lead up even higher.
In the 50th minute, the Bruins challenged Valparaiso on a handball and won, giving senior Lillie Tabor a penalty kick.
Tabor was able to connect the shot, bringing Belmont’s advantage up to 2-0, but it would not remain that way for long.
In the 57th minute, Ross would deliver another goal after their eighth corner kick of the match to bring the total to 3-0, setting Belmont up for a clean run to the end of the game.
The Bruins came close to extending their lead in the final 10 minutes when a corner kick led to a shot on goal but was saved by the Valparaiso freshman goalkeeper Adria Schultz with mere inches to spare.
When the final whistle blew, Belmont had a decisive win 3-0, having taken nine shots on goal to Valparaiso’s three.
Now 3-8-4, the Bruins are set to travel to Indiana State on Nov. 1.
This article was written by Mason Merkle
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