SILOAM SPRINGS, Ark. – The No. 7 John Brown University's women's soccer team scored twice in the first six minutes and secured a 3-1 win over No. 15 Bethel (Tenn.) in its home opener Saturday evening (Aug. 24) at Alumni Field.
The Golden Eagles (1-1-0) enjoyed a dream start, capitalizing on an early Bethel miscue in the fourth minute. After sophomore Julia Lambert broke in on goal but was dispossessed, a Bethel defender's attempted clearance ricocheted off a teammate and into the net, gifting JBU an own goal and an early 1-0 lead.
The momentum continued to build for the hosts just two minutes later when Lambert found the back of the net with a perfectly-placed header. A well-executed give-and-go sequence between Lambert and senior Lauren Walter culminated in Walter's high arching cross finding Lambert at the back post, who calmly nodded the ball home for her first tally of the season.
The Golden Eagles extended their lead in the 34th minute, courtesy of a clinical counter-attack. Walter, once again instrumental in the build-up, threaded a precise pass through the Bethel defense to Bella Graber. Graber, composed in a one-versus-one situation breaking in on goal, slotted the ball between goalkeeper Alicia Perez's legs to make it 3-0 for her first of the season.
Bethel managed to pull one back just before halftime when Zainab Manneh finished off a Carla Cebollada assist, but the Wildcats were unable to overcome the early deficit.
Despite Bethel's renewed pressure in the second half, outshooting John Brown 8-2, the Golden Eagles' defense held firm. Freshman goalkeeper Sunnie Woodard, making her first collegiate start at home grounds, proved to be a formidable last line of defense, making four crucial saves in the final 45 minutes to secure her first career win.
Bethel (1-2-0) out-shot the Golden Eagles by a 14-10 margin, but both teams finished with six apiece on frame. The visitors held a narrow 7-5 margin in corner kick opportunities.
The Golden Eagles will look to continue the momentum when Friends (Kan.) makes it way to Alumni Field on Friday evening (Aug. 30) for a 5 p.m. contest as part of the First Friday Futbol festivities. The match will air live on the SAC Sports Network.
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