AVE MARIA, Fla.- The Ave Maria University women's soccer team played even for more than 60 minutes with a national championship contender Saturday afternoon, but eventually fell 1-0 to the SCAD-Savannah Bees at Gyrene Field.
Saturday's match followed a similar script to the first meeting between the teams, with the Gyrenes holding SCAD to a scoreless draw in the first half before the Bees, the fifth-ranked team in the nation, finally broke through in the second half. Prior to the match, the women's soccer program honored its eleven seniors - ten players and one student manager.
For the first 35 minutes of the match, the teams battled to a virtual standstill. Both teams took shots at the net, but none could be considered particular notable scoring opportunities. SCAD looked to be in prime position to take the lead in the 38th minute, when Abigail Siddall was awarded a penalty kick after an AMU foul. However, Siddall's chance sailed well over the bar, and the match would continue scoreless into halftime.
SCAD started to put more pressure on the Gyrenes late in the first half, and that continued into the second. The Bees peppered the Gyrene net with shots, including a shot from Sydney Chura in the 61st minute that banged off the post. That pressure finally paid off in the 65th minute, when Jule Stendebach played a perfect pass to Chura, who finished from close range to put the Bees ahead.
AMU had a few chances in the final 25 minutes, namely two shots from freshman Catherine Dalton, but the Bees were able to hang on, escaping Southwest Florida with a 1-0 win to remain unbeaten in Sun Conference play.
The teams combined for 31 shots on a warm Saturday afternoon in Ave Maria, with SCAD taking 17 and the Gyrenes attempting 14. Most of those shots were off target, with both sides managing just six attempts against the goalkeeper. Catherine Dalton was the most active attacker of the afternoon for Ave Maria, attempting four shots and putting two on goal in the second half.
Despite the loss, the Gyrenes are still firmly in control of their own destiny for a spot in The Sun Conference Tournament. A win on Wednesday would all but punch Ave Maria's ticket to the postseason, as the Gyrenes currently lead Warner by four points with four matches to play for the sixth spot in the SUN Tournament. AMU will get their chance to all but put the Royals away in Lake Wales on Wednesday, with kickoff scheduled for 7:00 p.m.
