HATTIESBURG, Miss. – The William Carey women's soccer team picked up a crucial conference victory Saturday afternoon, defeating Xavier University 3-1 at Danny Owens Field.
The Lady Crusaders struck early when
Boo Mills collected a Xavier clearance attempt and sent a cross into the middle for
Paloma Paris. Paris dribbled past her defender and placed a shot into the bottom corner just beyond the reach of the Gold Nuggets goalkeeper, giving WCU a 1-0 lead just four minutes into the match.
Carey controlled much of the action for the remainder of the first half, creating several scoring opportunities while limiting Xavier's offensive chances. Despite the Lady Crusaders' dominance, the Gold Nuggets found an equalizer in the 40th minute, sending the match into halftime tied 1-1.
Both teams generated opportunities after the break, but strong defensive play on both sides kept the match level. The breakthrough came in the 70th minute when
Sara Aguirre stole the ball deep in the attacking third, catching the Xavier defense off guard before calmly finishing to restore Carey's lead at 2-1.
The Lady Crusaders added an insurance goal in the 83rd minute when
Alba Aguado headed home a corner kick from Mills to extend the advantage to 3-1.
Carey's defense closed out the final seven minutes without allowing a shot on goal, securing the conference victory.
WCU returns to action Monday, Oct. 26, when it hosts Andrew College in its regular-season finale. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Danny Owens Field.
