SILOAM SPRINGS -- Sophomore Aubrey Winter took over the Golden Eagle scoring lead with an early conversion at the penalty spot, and the No. 13 John Brown University women's soccer team secured its tenth-straight win at Alumni Field on Saturday (Sept. 30) afternoon with a 3-0 win over Southwestern Christian.
Freshman Julia Lambert and junior Grace Bishop tagged on insurance goals in the last 15 minutes to move the Golden Eagles to 8-2-0 on the season and a 2-0-0 start in Sooner Athletic play.
In just the eighth minute of action, sophomore Olivia Fish drew a hard foul in the box, setting up the first of two JBU penalty kicks in the first half. Winter deposited her sixth of the season with ease past Marta Papandrea, and with it, her third game-winner of the season.
Papandrea would have a measure of revenge, however, as she denied John Brown an early 2-0 lead by denying senior Lauren Walter her sixth goal of the season, also from the penalty spot, in the 15th minute.
While the Golden Eagles held the heavy shooting (26-3) and possession advantage throughout the afternoon, Papandrea finished the match with 10 saves, and JBU needed the full 90 minutes to stack together three goals.
Finally in the 76th minute, freshman Summer Holmes's pass through the midfield sparked a gorgeous give-and-go between Lambert and Walter that sliced through the SCU back line. Breaking in one-on-one with Papandrea, Lambert ripped a shot to the near side of goal from 12 yards to double the John Brown advantage. It was Lambert's third goal of the season and her first in seven matches after beginning the season with goals in back-to-back outings.
Before the final whistle, freshman Brooklyn Hendricks' one-touch service from the midfield deep into the box to the far post found the head of Bishop, who leapt over the defender marking her. The shot rang off the crossbar, but Bishop calmly collected the rebound and sent her first goal of the season to the low, near side of goal to balloon the hosts' lead to three in the 85th.
In her first-career collegiate start, senior Emily Dobbins recorded a pair of first-half saves to collect the first clean sheet of her career, and the fourth for the Golden Eagles this season.
Lambert and Walter led John Brown with six shot attempts apiece, while three different Eagles led the Southwestern Christian offensive effort in the loss. With the win, John Brown moved to 12-0-1 all-time in the series history against the Eagles.
The JBU three-match homestand continues on Tuesday (Oct. 3) when the Golden Eagles welcome Wayland Baptist (Texas) to Alumni Field. The ladies will take center stage in the primetime matchup and will kick off at 7 p.m. The match will air live on the SAC Sports Network.
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