Note: On October 27, 2023, Webber International University forfeited this contest due to the use of an ineligible player. Ave Maria was awarded a 1-0 victory, but all statistics recorded in this contest remain intact.
AVE MARIA, Fla.- The Ave Maria University women's soccer team earned a point in conference play for the second time in three matches, playing Webber International University to a scoreless draw Wednesday night at Gyrene Field.
The match continued a trend of tight matches between AMU and WIU, as each of the last nine meetings between the teams have been decided by two goals or fewer. In that stretch, which dates back to the 2015 season, six of the nine matches have either ended in a tie, or been decided by one goal.
Arguably the best chance of the match for either team came in the 12th minute. Rachel Dalton slipped through the Webber defense, and fired a shot that narrowly missed going in, instead banging off the crossbar. The Gyrenes peppered the Webber goal with eleven shots, including five shots on goal, but went into the halftime break with the game scoreless.
It was more of the same in the second half. Ave Maria held a 6-5 lead in shots taken, but only three of those eleven shots - two for Webber and one for Ave Maria - were on target. Goalkeepers Emma Schweitzer and Cameron Laine were able to keep their clean sheets until the final whistle, ensuring the game would finish in a scoreless draw.
Emma Schweitzer worked her second consecutive clean sheet for the Gyrenes, bringing her goals against average for the season down to a paltry 1.17. The freshman made three saves, denying the Warriors any chance to find the game-winner.
Three Gyrenes recorded three shots in the draw, with Rachel Dalton, Nina Laville, and Cate Cox doing the bulk of the attacking work. All three of Laville's shots went on goal, while two of Dalton's did, with the lone exception being the shot off the crossbar. Catherine Dalton also attempted two shots, with one shot on goal.
Ave Maria will face a major test this Saturday, as the Gyrenes journey north to Hardeeville, South Carolina. The Gyrenes will battle the Bees of SCAD-Savannah, who enter the contest as the 12th ranked team in the nation. The Bees currently sit a 3-0 in Sun Conference play, including a 3-1 win over No. 6 Keiser Wednesday night. Kickoff from the SCAD Athletics Complex is slated for 11:00 a.m. Saturday morning.
