SILOAM SPRINGS -- Senior Alair Love's fourth goal of the season just six minutes into the contest was all the Golden Eagles needed as the No. 7 John Brown University women's soccer team posted a 3-0 victory over Mid-America Christian (Okla.) on Saturday (Oct. 23) afternoon at Alumni Field.
Love's first game-winner of the season was a finish on a cross from senior Vanessa Reynoso, who scored the third goal of the contest, at the back post that bounced over MACU goalkeeper Jennifer Starwalt, launching John Brown to its ninth straight win of the season.
Love, scoring in her third consecutive contest, returned the favor in the 24th minute when her pass through to Reynoso allowed the senior to slip between the Evangel back line and bury an 11-yard strike.
Besides the three-point efforts from Love and Reynoso, sophomore Lauren Walter's cross on the floor squeaked through the MACU (7-6-0, 4-3-0 Sooner Athletic) back line, leaving sophomore Gifte Pavatt all alone with Starwalt. Pavatt's tap-in at the back post produced her second of the season and the insurance marker John Brown (12-1-0, 7-0-0) needed in the 10th minute.
The hosts dominated the first half, posting an 11-1 shooting advantage and a 7-0 corner kick margin.
The second half finished without much excitement as head coach Dr. Kathleen Paulsen was able to generate valuable time for 11 reserves, which still notched a 7-1 shooting advantage in the latter frame.
Junior Chloe Griffin relieved senior Caitlyn Logan in goal at the intermission after Logan improved to 12-1-0 on the season – making a single save in the first half. The pair split its fifth clean sheet of the season as John Brown's goals-against average improved to 0.23 as a team.
John Brown now faces an opportunity to clinch at least a share of the 2021 Sooner Athletic regular season title when it takes on Science & Arts (Okla.) on Tuesday (Oct. 26) afternoon at Drover Pitch. The highly-anticipated matchup is slated to kick off at 5 p.m. and will air live on the SAC Sports Network.
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