Lincoln Memorial downs Mount Olive, 2-1, in women’s soccer

GOLDSBORO — In a second-half that featured three goals, the University of Mount Olive women’s soccer team suffered a 2-1 loss in the season-opener versus Lincoln Memorial at the Bryan Multi-Sport Complex on Thursday afternoon.

With the loss, the Trojans begin the season at 0-1 after being selected third in the preseason Conference Carolinas poll. Meanwhile, the Lady Railsplitters open the year with a 1-0 mark and were slotted ninth in the South Atlantic Conference (SAC) preseason rankings. The two sides met for seventh time since 2008 with the previous three matches played on a neutral site.

In the first half, Mount Olive nearly broke through in the opening five minutes after a shot from sophomore Addison Dangler missed just wide of the net. Graduate student Samantha Hamrick delivered a shot on goal at the 15:49-mark off a pass from a free kick, which was stopped by the LMU goalkeeper. Just 30 second later, graduate student Jaslyn Gott sent a header into the top-left corner of the goal, but was saved to keep the contest scoreless. The Lady Railsplitters rallied late in the first half with three-straight corner kicks before both sides went into halftime tied at 0-0.

Lincoln Memorial kept the momentum early in the second half with Ellie Bowen scoring the opening goal in the 50th minutes off a rebound from an initial save on her first attempt on goal. The Trojans responded with four corner kicks and a pair of shots on goal as they showed pressure on the offense end of the field. At the 71:23-mark, Dangler blasted a game-tying goal into the left-corner of the net, 1-1. Following four substitutions from LMU, the Lady Railsplitters regain their advantage in just over a minute after a cross from Ryan Branson was guided into the back of the net by Alicia Bevins, 2-1. UMO managed to receive four corner kicks in the final 12-plus minutes, but only managed one shot on goal, as LMU claimed the season-opening victory.

Graduate student Nicole Solicito earned the start and played the opening 45 minutes of the contest, while IUP senior transfer Samantha Gildner was subbed on for the second-half and tallied one save in the loss.

The Trojans held an 11-7 shot advantage, including an 8-3 edge in shots on goal, while also holding an 11-7 edge in corner kicks.

Submitted by UMO Athletic Communications