BLUFFTON, SOUTH CAROLINA — The University of South Carolina Beaufort women's soccer team faced Newberry College at home Wednesday afternoon in a non-conference matchup. USCB closed out a 3-1 victory after taking a 1-0 lead in the first half before answering a Newberry goal with two unanswered goals.
The Sand Sharks are now 5-5-0 on the season and 1-3 in conference play, while Newberry moves to 2-5-2.
"Felt good getting back in the win column today through a total team effort," stated head coach Gary Boughton.
Addie Rollison started in goal for the Sand Sharks and played the opening 45 minutes before Norah Schmidt took over in the second half and recorded seven saves.
The Sand Sharks' goals were scored by Bianca Buttler, Erin Barrett, and Kitty Crovo. Barrett scored her fourth goal of the season, while Buttler and Crovo each recorded their first goals of the year. Sophia Willis had two assists on the first two goals of the game, giving her five assists on the season. Sami Ruby recorded an assist on the third goal for her first of the season.
"They certainly made the game difficult for us, so seeing our players battle through some moments and get the result feels really good," said Boughton
USCB recorded the first shot on goal of the game in the opening 45 minutes, with Barrett forcing an early save by the Newberry goalkeeper. The Sand Sharks forced three more saves over the next 15 minutes before striking first.
Willis sent the ball into the box, and after Barrett gained possession off the takeaway, she sent the ball into the back of the net with her left foot to give the Sand Sharks a 1-0 lead.
USCB controlled the first half, not allowing a single shot on goal. The Sand Shark defense helped keep the pressure on the attacking end as USCB outshot the Wolves 12-1 through the first 45 minutes and carried a 1-0 lead into halftime.
The Sand Sharks started the second half on the defensive end as the Wolves came away with four early shots before finding the equalizer off a corner kick in the 68th minute to tie the game at 1-1.
Just two minutes later, the Sand Sharks regained the lead after earning a corner kick. Willis sent the ball into the box, where Buttler headed it into the back of the net to give the Sand Sharks a 2-1 advantage in the 70th minute.
USCB continued to control the game from that point on. About eight minutes later, Crovo found the back of the net to extend the Sand Sharks' lead to 3-1. Ruby pushed the ball ahead with a pass to Crovo, who gained possession and sent the shot through for the final goal of the afternoon.
The Sand Sharks closed out the 3-1 win over the Wolves on Wednesday afternoon.
USCB will hit the road Saturday to face Georgia Southwestern State in a return to conference action. Kickoff is set for 5 p.m.
Stay tuned to uscbathletics.com and follow Sand Shark Athletics on social media for the latest news, updates, and information.
