AVE MARIA, Fla.- The Ave Maria University women's soccer team dropped a conference match on Wednesday night, falling 5-1 to the Wildcats of Johnson and Wales University at Gyrene Field. The second meeting this season between the two schools was mostly played in a driving rainstorm in Ave Maria.

For the second time this season, the Gyrenes struck first on Wednesday night. A foul by Johnson and Wales gave AMU a free kick in the 14th minute. On that free kick, senior captain Meghan Precord curled a shot over the head of the JWU goalkeeper for her fourth goal of the season. Precord's tally moved her alone into fifth place in the Ave Maria record books in career points scored.

It took just 81 seconds for the Wildcats to tie the game, as Versailles Clark broke through the Gyrene defense and rocketed a shot over the head of the AMU goalkeeper. Johnson & Wales then took the lead in the 29th minute, as scoring leader Savannah Jackson converted on a free kick that would give JWU a 2-1 lead that would hold until halftime.

Johnson & Wales scored three times in the second half, beginning with a Jackson goal in the 50th minute. Ashlyn Hannus added JWU's fourth goal of the match on a free kick in the 56th minute, and Jackson finished off a hat trick with a goal in the 86th minute, finishing on an 1-on-1 against the Ave Maria defense.

Ave Maria outshot the Wildcats, 7-6, in the first half, but Johnson & Wales held a 10-1 advantage in the second half. Jackson led the JWU attack with nine shots and five shots on goal, while Clark added five shots and four shots on goal. Hannah Dalton led the Gyrenes with two shots on goal, while Precord, Ally Williams, and Beth Staufenberger each added two shots.

AMU's conference slate continues on Saturday, when the Gyrenes travel to Thomasville for a meeting with the Night Hawks of Thomas University. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. Ave Maria's next home game comes on Saturday, October 19 against Warner University, with that game slated to start at 11:30 a.m.