MIAMI GARDENS, Fla.- The Ave Maria University women's soccer team fell victim to a second half surge on Wednesday night, and dropped a 3-0 decision to the St. Thomas University Bobcats. All three St. Thomas goals came in the second half after the first 45 minutes passed without a score.
In the first half, the Gyrenes kept the match scoreless despite facing 13 shots from the host Bobcats. Goalkeeper Genevieve Riley stopped all seven shots on goal taken by the Bobcats, while the two on-target Gyrene shots were also kept out of the net.
St. Thomas broke the scoreless draw in the 48th minute. After a save from Riley, Alexa Leizorek scored on the rebound to give the Bobcats a 1-0 lead. The assist on the eventual game-winning goal was credited to Kylie Braeseke.
The Bobcats then scored their final two goals of the match within ten minutes of one another. First, in the 63rd minute, Andrea Manzur scored her third goal of the season when she broke away from the defense and rocketed a shot into the net from 45 yards out. Then, in the 73rd minute, Katharina Jullich found Eva Castano Candela for her sixth goal of the season to complete the night's scoring.
Riley stopped 13 shots in her first appearance in net this season for the Gyrenes. St. Thomas attempted 33 total shots, while Ave Maria shot ten times. Three Gyrenes - Lauren Campoe, Bre Ruedeman, and Laura Spence - each attempted a pair of shots on goal in the losing effort.
Ave Maria returns to Gyrene Field on Saturday for Senior Day. The Sand Sharks of the University of South Carolina Beaufort will be in town, with kickoff scheduled for 11 a.m. Before the match begins, the women's soccer senior trio of Genevieve Riley, Sarah McBride, and Bernadette Hartney will be honored.
