BLUFFTON, S.C. - Despite tallying four goals against the reigning back-to-back national champions, the USCB women's soccer team gave No. 2 Keiser all it could handle on Sunday, but the Sand Sharks fell just short, 6-4, at Fin Land Field.
Inside The Box Score
Mari Kalvatn - one goal, one assist, four shots, two shots on goal
Aurya Downey - one goal, three shots, one shot on goal
Lauren Wood - one goal
Madison Foshee - one goal
Synne Bye-Andersen - two assists
Kaylee Kumar and Anniken Brodersen - one assist each
Mariah Ruckdeschel - 90 minutes, 12 saves
How It Happened
At opening kick, neither team had any good chances at net. Keiser started to maintain possession at the 14th minute, as it took five shots over the next six minutes.
In the 23rd frame, the back-to-back national champions tallied the game's first goal off a long ball.
Two minutes later, USCB let in an own goal off a corner kick to give the Seahawks the 2-0 advantage.
A minute-and-a-half later, USCB found some momentum in front of net, as it made it a 2-1 contest in the 26th minute. Bye-Andersen worked up the right side of the field. Working towards the 18-yard box, she fed a pass to Kalvatn, who then knocked it into the left side of the goal.
The Seahawks took six more shots in the final 19 minutes, as the contest went to halftime, 2-1, favoring Keiser.
Without wasting much time, the Seahawks regained the two-goal lead in the 51st minute when Kyoka Koshijima tallied the goal.
Just seconds later, Kalvatn had two prime chances to cut into the deficit but had both shots knocked away.
From the 57th to 60th minute, KU again peppered the Sand Shark net, and eventually found its fourth goal of the game to take the three-goal lead, 4-1.
After another missed scoring opportunity in the 62nd minute, USCB made it a 4-2 contest in the 64th frame. Kumar threw the ball in from the right side of the pitch. Gathering the ball, Kalvatn flicked it to Foshee, who then chipped the shot over the Seahawks' keeper. The goal was her 10th of the year for the sophomore.
Unfortunately, No. 2 Keiser retook the three-goal advantage, 5-2, in the 67th minute off a rebound save from Ruckdeshel.
Playing with some urgency, USCB netted a third goal in the 79th minute. Brodersen took a corner from the left side of the field. With a beautifully-place ball, Wood went airborne and redirected the ball to the top of the net for her first goal of the 2021 season.
Again, the Seahawks had another answer in the 85th minute to make it a 6-3 game. Koshijima tallied the goal again for the nationally-ranked team.
The Sand Sharks still didn't keel over, as they tallied their fourth goal of the match a minute later. Bye-Andersen drove the ball up the right side of the field - similar to the Sand Sharks' first goal. She worked her way into the penalty box and launched a pass to the back post. Downey put a foot on it to ripple the right side of the net to make the game 6-4.
With just a few minutes left on the clock, USCB's final chance came in the 88th minute when Downey nearly made it a 6-5 game. She knocked a high shot from close distance of the net, but the attempt grazed the crossbar and went out of play.
Keiser saw out the final two minutes to claim the 6-4 win.
Team Record Updates
USCB - 8-5 overall, 2-2 SUN
No. 2 Keiser - 9-1 overall, 3-0 SUN
What's Next?
With five SUN games left on the 2021 docket, USCB heads to Florida for two pivotal conference games. Kicking off the week is a date with Webber International on Oct. 14 at 12 p.m.
