SILOAM SPRINGS -- The No. 20 John Brown University women's soccer team used a goal in each half and grew stronger as the match elapsed in a statement 2-0 win over No. 25 MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) on Friday (Aug. 25) night at Alumni Field.
Senior Lauren Walter scored a goal in the 25th minute for her first game-winner of the season, and freshman Julia Lambert scored for the second time in as many games. The Golden Eagle (2-0-0) defense and sophomore Regan Riley combined for the one-save shutout.
The Pioneers (1-1-0) were fresh off a 6-1 defeat of No. 23 Science & Arts (Okla.) earlier in the week.
While the visitors controlled play early on, John Brown quickly tilted the pitch once settled in, and out-shot MNU by a 4-1 margin in the first half. What broke the scoreless draw, however, was a Pioneer miscue, resulting in a wide open goal.
𝗣𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗦𝗨𝗥𝗘 𝗣𝗔𝗬𝗦 𝗢𝗙𝗙 Lauren scores a gimme, courtesy of the Pioneer goalkeeper, to bury the game-winner in the first half of #goJBU WSOC's first top-25 win of the season!
Posted by John Brown University Athletics on Saturday, August 26, 2023
Off a Pioneer throw in deep in MidAmerica Nazarene territory, an MNU defender played a square pass to another before dumping off another pass back to keeper Marcelle Thedinga. Thedinga's pedestrian pass across the goal mouth was anticipated by Walter as she pressured, allowing Walter to pick off the pass and dump a shot into the empty goal for a 1-0 Golden Eagle lead.
While both offenses picked up in the second half, John Brown again held a 7-4 shooting advantage. In the 63rd, a direct result of a failed MNU corner kick, the hosts quickly counter-attacked up the field with numbers. Junior Elise Bosma played a pass up ahead to Lambert, who broke in one-on-one with Thedinga. Lambert maneuvered around the keeper as the ball rolled into the far left side of goal for the official JBU insurance policy.
While Riley needed just one save for her first-career clean sheet, she came up huge when called upon in the 63rd minute, which led to the MNU corner and ultimately, John Brown's insurance goal. Kirsten Wetterstrom's shot inside the box destined for the far right pocked of the goal was expertly navigated past the right post by Riley via a diving save to her left.
JBU out-shot the visiting Pioneers by an 11-5 margin, while MidAmerica Nazarene attempted five corner kicks to John Brown's one.
The Golden Eagles return to action on Thursday (Aug. 31) on the first day of the John Brown University Classic, when JBU welcomes No. 22 Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) to Siloam Springs for a 7 p.m. kickoff. The entirety of the classic will air live on the SAC Sports Network.
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