BLUFFTON, SOUTH CAROLINA — The University of South Carolina Beaufort soccer team hosted the University of West Alabama Tigers at Finland Field on Saturday morning, earning a 1-0 victory after a game-winning goal by Nicole Gray in the 87th minute, assisted by Sophia Willis.
"You have to credit the UWA today, they are well-organized and defend hard. But I thought we just needed to break through once and execute how we train, and it paid off in the end," stated head coach Gary Boughton.
The Sand Sharks improve to 3-1 on the season, while West Alabama drops to 1-2.
USCB was led by Nicole Gray, who scored the lone goal, her second game winning goal of the season, with Sophia Willis earning the assist. Graysen Asher made six saves in the starting role before Addie Rollison closed out the game with two saves, combining for the Sand Sharks' first shutout of the season.
The Tigers looked to strike first with the opening opportunity on Saturday, but their shot on frame was saved by Asher. A minute later, the Sand Sharks had their first opportunity on a shot by Gabriela Colon, but Tigers goalkeeper Yumari Hernandez was able to make the save.
The USCB defense helped set up several opportunities for the Sand Shark offense, creating a couple of corner-kick chances, but a pair of shots went wide.
The Sand Sharks outshot the Tigers 6-5 in the first half, with each goalkeeper making four saves as the two teams entered halftime tied 0-0.
In the second half, Asher made two saves in the opening five minutes to keep the game scoreless. The Sand Sharks added more pressure in the 80th minute, when a shot was saved by the Tigers' goalkeeper before USCB earned a corner kick and followed with a second shot on goal.
With the continued pressure, the Sand Sharks struck in the 87th minute. At the 87:17 mark, Gray sent a shot past the goalkeeper to give USCB a late 1-0 lead. Willis spun past a defender and crossed the ball into the middle, where Gray finished for the game-winning goal.
"The build up where Sophia gets around the corner and you can see Nicole find the space, and then Nicole does what Nicole does," said Boughton. Put the game away in a big moment, as cool as the other side of the pillow."
The Sand Sharks held off the Tigers to record their first shutout of the season in the first meeting between the two programs.
The Sand Sharks have now won their home opener for the fifth consecutive season, dating back to 2022.
USCB will remain at home for two more games this week on Finland Field, starting September 9 at 3:00 p.m. against Coker. The Sand Sharks will then host their conference opener on September 12 against North Georgia.
Stay tuned to uscbathletics.com and follow Sand Shark Athletics on social media for the latest news, updates, and information.
