Charleston, WV – Charleston Women's Soccer returned to the WAC on Wednesday for another Mountain East Conference matchup, hosting West Virginia Wesleyan.
The Basics
- Location: Welch Athletic Complex
- Final Score: UC 2, WVW 1
- Records: Charleston (2-3-1, 2-1-1 MEC), West Virginia Wesleyan (2-3-1, 2-1-1 MEC)
How It Happened
The Golden Eagles came out strong, controlling possession and putting pressure on the Bobcats early. Just one minute into the match, Jenna Brown found Sydney Crowe on the right side, and Crowe delivered a cross into the box for Emilía Dís Óskarsdóttir, who finished first time to give Charleston an early 1-0 lead. Charleston continued to control the pace, keeping Wesleyan pinned in its defensive half. Ciara Casamento forced a save in the 11th minute before Li-Lou Debaecker tested the Bobcats' goalkeeper a few minutes later.
Wesleyan found its first shot of the match in the 20th minute, and it resulted in the equalizer. A shot from outside the box took an unexpected bounce in front of Ines Degli Esposti, who was unable to make the save as the ball found the back of the net. The Bobcats gained confidence following the goal and began seeing more of the ball. In the 30th minute, Degli Esposti was called into action again, making her first save of the match. The remainder of the first half turned into a midfield battle, with neither team able to find another breakthrough as the teams entered halftime tied 1-1.
The second half was a battle from start to finish. Wesleyan recorded the first shot of the half, but Degli Esposti was there to make the save. Both teams remained cautious defensively, limiting opportunities as they looked to avoid conceding the go-ahead goal. Charleston had a chance in the 66th minute after earning a free kick just outside the box. Debaecker stepped up to take the attempt, but her shot was collected by the Wesleyan goalkeeper. Ten minutes later, Debaecker had another opportunity, but her effort sailed just over the crossbar.
With time running out, the Golden Eagles finally found the breakthrough in the 86th minute. Akayla Johnson carried the ball forward before finding Abigail Harrison inside the box. Harrison battled through a defender and managed to get a shot away toward the far side of the net, giving Charleston a 2-1 lead. Wesleyan pushed forward in the final minutes in search of an equalizer, but the Golden Eagles held firm to secure the 2-1 conference victory.
Dís Óskarsdóttir and Harrison each recorded their first goal of the season.
Up Next
Charleston will hit the road on Sunday, September 20, traveling to Portsmouth, Ohio, to take on Shawnee State University. Kickoff is set for 12:00 p.m.
