THOMASVILLE, Ga. — The Ave Maria Women's Soccer team lost their first of two games in the Peach State Friday afternoon, falling to the Thomas Night Hawks 2-1. The Gyrenes took 35 shots in the game, with 19 of them directed on goal, but could only get one pass the Thomas keeper.
Neither team found the scoreboard in the first half, but that was not for a lack of effort on the Gyrenes part. Ave Maria took 17 shots in the opening period with 11 directed on goal. The Thomas keeper stopped nine of the shots on goal, with the Night Hawk defense stopping the other two. Of the six shots that weren't directed on net, one hit the post from Rachel Dalton.
On the other end of the field, Emma Schweitzer stopped the two shots she faced.
Early on in the second half, Thomas broke the tie. On just their fifth shot on goal, the Night Hawks found the back of the net in the 53rd minute putting them up 1-0.
Thomas padded their lead in the 75th minute with another goal.
Ave Maria had their chances in the second half to comeback. Outdoing the opening frame, the Gyrenes took 18 shots in the second, with eight of them counting as a shot on goal. However, it was only the 19
th and last shot on goal that found the back of the net.
Eastern Oregon graduate transfer Kana Mateaki scored her first goal as a Gyrene in the 78
th minute to cut the deficit down to one. It was Mateaki's 20th goal of her collegiate career, having scored 19 times for the Mountaineers.
Down one with 12 minutes left to play, the Gyrenes made a push taking three shots, but one was high and two were blocked by the Thomas defense.
Overall, Ave Maria took 35 shots with 19 of them on goal. That is the most shots and shots on goal in a game for the Gyrenes since October 15, 2022, when Ave Maria took 51 shots, 28 on goal, against Florida Memorial.
Individually, Ava Conforti led the team in shooting, with seven shots and six on goal.
Ave Maria stays in Georgia for the weekend now and returns to the pitch Sunday, September 8, against Abraham Baldwin. It will be the first ever meeting between the Golden Stallions and the Gyrenes.
