AVE MARIA, Fla.- The Ave Maria University women's soccer team dropped a close Sun Conference match on Saturday afternoon, falling 2-1 to the Sand Sharks of the University of South Carolina Beaufort. Before the game, the Gyrenes honored their senior trio of Bernadette Hartney, Sarah McBride and Genevieve Riley on Senior Day.

The match began with a flurry of activity, as each team scored in the first three minutes of the contest. Ave Maria struck first, scoring just 90 seconds into the match. On the first corner kick of the afternoon, Meghan Precord placed the kick directly on the head of Laura Spence, who found the back of the net for the first goal of her collegiate career.

USCB answered less than a minute later, scoring the equalizer in the third minute. Anna Gignilliat scored her third goal of the season, evening the match at one. Neither team would score in the final 42:41 of the first half, leaving the match tied at one entering halftime.

A goal in the 49th minute for the Sand Sharks proved to be the difference in the match. A cross from Melissa Fichtner fell to the foot of Baylie White, who scored her second goal of the season less than four minutes into the second half. Ave Maria was not able to produce an equalizer in the final 40 minutes of the match, leading USCB to their third conference win of the season. 

Spence was Ave Maria's most active attacker on the afternoon, recording three shots on goal. As a team, AMU was outshot 13-7 by the Sand Sharks, including a 9-5 USCB edge in shots on goal. Amanda Stacy, who was pressed into duty as the Gyrene goalkeeper, stopped seven shots in her fourth game as a goalkeeper this season, and her first in over a month.

The Gyrenes return to action in Sun Conference play on Wednesday, when AMU travels to Miami Gardens for a match with Florida Memorial University. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.