HARRISONBURG, Va. – The Sweet Briar College soccer team (4-7-0, 0-6-0 ODAC) held firm against the Eastern Mennonite University Royals (4-7-1, 2-3-0) this afternoon, only allowing two goals in the first half of the game.
In the first half, the Vixens' defense, led by junior goalkeeper
Mia Viccora (Fairfax, Va.), was under constant pressure. Viccora racked up six saves in the opening period, turning away a series of threatening attempts. Despite her efforts, the Royals struck first with a goal at the 8:10 mark and added another at 28:41.
Moving into the second half, Sweet Briar managed to register a shot in the match, coming from junior
Alexis Diaz (Connelly Springs, N.C.), whose effort was stopped by the Royals' goalkeeper. Defensive resolve kept the Royals off the board in the second period, with Viccora tallying four more saves for a game total of ten. The Vixens' back line, including first-year
Abby Broom (Sylva, N.C.) and sophomore
Kaelin Hanson (Los Alamos, N.M.), played the full 90 minutes, shielding their goal against persistent attacks.
Junior midfielder
Elise Bennett (Louisa, Va.) and first-year forward
Electra McPherson (Madison Heights, Va.) also logged complete games, working to spark chances for Sweet Briar in transition. Despite their resilience and individual minutes logged, the squad could not break through.
Highlights
- This afternoon marks the closely contested match between the two programs since a 1-1 tie in 2012.
- Diaz is now second in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) in total shots with an average of 4.70 per game.
What's Next
The Vixens will host Guilford on Oct. 15th before heading to Bridgewater on Oct. 18th.
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