WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - The USCB women's soccer team fell to the reigning NAIA National Champions and top-ranked Keiser, 4-1, on Tuesday afternoon, as Marcela Shartouny scored the lone goal for the Sand Sharks in the fall regular-season finale.
Inside The Box Score
Shartouny - one goal, fourth goal of the year
Madeline Matusik - one assist, first assist of the year
Mari Kalvatn - one shot, one shot on goal
Alana Dame - 39 shots faced, career-high 16 saves
How It Happened
The contest started quickly for the Seahawks, as they started to pepper the Sand Shark net for the first 10 minutes of the game. During that 10-minute stretch, Dame had to make two saves and faced four shots. Eventually Keiser found the net in the 14th minute, as Emma Holmskov flicked the ball to the left side of the net to take the 1-0 lead.
The Seahawk lead quickly disappeared in the 23rd minute when Matusik and Shartouny linked up on a counter attack to knot the game at 1-1. Matusik worked up the left side of the field, and with a Seahawk on her right shoulder and the goalkeeper pressing, she flicked the ball to Shartouny, who was right in front of the KU net. The freshman beat the defender to the ball for the easy tap-in goal, which was her fourth of the season.
USCB nearly took its first lead of the afternoon in the 33rd minute when Kalvatn ripped a shot from the 18-yard line. A Sand Shark fed a cross from the right side, and the Seahawk goalkeeper deflected the ball away to the feet of Kalvatn, who was unmanned. Kalvatn connected with a shot, but it went right back to the KU keeper.
After keeping the game level to the halftime break, Keiser broke the game open in the second half with three goals.
Kyoka Koshijma gave Keiser the lead, 2-1, off a rebound save in the 58th minute.
In the 68th minute, Keiser's Maja Lundman ripped a right-footed shot to make it a two-score game, and just one minute later, Maxi Krug put the game away, 4-1, with her fourth goal of the season.
USCB didn't muster a shot in the second half, as it fell to the reigning national champions, 4-1.
Team Record Updates
USCB - 4-5-0 overall, 4-5-0 Sun Conference
No. 1 Keiser - 9-1–0 overall, 8-1–0 Sun Conference
What's Next?
Despite the loss, USCB will host the first round of the Sun Conference Tournament as the four seed on Saturday, Nov. 14 at Fin Land Field. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m., as the Sand Sharks take on St. Thomas, who is the five seed in the postseason tournament.
The quarterfinal contest will be streamed on the Sand Shark Gameday Network on the Sun Digital Network, and the winner of the contest will square off with No. 1 Southeastern on Wednesday, Nov. 18 in Lakeland, Fla.
