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Women's Soccer drops 2-1 heartbreaker to Faulkner
ROME, Ga. – Faulkner University scored twice in the final 24 minutes of play to complete a comeback from an early 1-0 deficit and stun host Shorter University, 2-1, in Southern States Athletic Conference women’s soccer action on Tuesday night.
Striker Latoya Panton’s goal with 49.8 seconds remaining capped the rally, sending Faulkner to its second straight victory over the Lady Hawks and keeping its record unblemished at 2-0.
Shorter, which dropped a 2-1 heartbreaker to No. 13 Auburn University-Montgomery in its opener last Saturday, fell to 0-2 on the young season and lost for the first time at the new Ben Brady Field.
The Lady Hawks had entered their 2010 home opener with a 1-0-1 record at the on-campus facility and played in front of a lively crowd of over 500, but simply could not hang on to a lead that they held for over 70 minutes.
Shorter’s rookie head coach Jennifer Colley was denied her first career victory, once again in heartbreaking fashion thanks to a pair of late goals.
Faulkner, outplayed for much of the first 75 minutes, picked up the intensity down 1-0 late in the second frame.
The Eagles outshot the Lady Hawks 17-11 for the game, but managed to outshoot the hosts 12-6 in the final 45 minutes. Shorter keeper Taylor Hays made two key saves during a scramble inside the Lady Hawk 6-yard box in the 71st minute and then watched as Samantha Ruddick’s rocket from 20-yards out caromed off the crossbar in the 73rd, preserving Shorter’s one-goal edge.
But Faulkner finally notched the equalizer after being awarded a penalty kick with 13:34 remaining, as Jessica Monarch calmly tucked her attempt inside the right post to draw the Eagles even at 1-1.
That set the stage for Panton’s heroics in the waning moments.
With Shorter’s top defender, Adrian Hicks, unavailable after leaving late in the second half with an injury, Panton took a ball off an awkward bounce just across midfield and sprinted by Shorter’s back line.
Hays charged, but was unable to cut off the angle as Panton slid her strike into the bottom right corner of the net to send the Eagles off with a result.
It seemed as if Shorter was primed for its first win of the season in the early stages as the Lady Hawks controlled the tempo of play for much of the first half and shocked Faulkner with a brilliant early goal.
Junior Brandi Greenwald got the Lady Hawks on the board in the 6th minute with her first goal of the season, taking a gorgeous ball from Mary Kate Lollar along the right side, pushing her first touch deep into the box and beating Eagles’ keeper Tia Rogers high to the near post for a 1-0 Shorter advantage.
Greenwald, a transfer from Brewton-Parker who was an All-SSAC pick as a freshman for the Lady Barons in 2008, tied for the team lead with three shots, two of which were on frame. She and freshman Constanza Ospina applied pressure to the Faulkner back line in the opening 45 minutes, but were unable to extend Shorter’s lead heading into halftime.
The Lady Hawks nearly regained the lead after Faulkner had equalized in the second half, but senior Rachel Wood narrowly missed high on a pair of late attempts, the last of which coming with four minutes to play.
Hays made seven saves for Shorter in 90 minutes of work. Wood and Ospina each fired three shots.
Shorter returns to action on Tuesday, Sept. 7 when its hosts Tennessee Wesleyan College at 4:30 p.m. on Ben Brady Field.
