LAKE WALES, Fla. – New College women's soccer falls in Sun Conference opener to NAIA No. 2 ranked Keiser University.
The Mighty Banyans lost in the opening match-up of conference play to top-ranked Keiser in a thrilling 5-2 performance. The loss was the first of the season for New College, which finally completed its first match following a rough weather stretch to open the season.
The Seahawks opened the scoring early in the first half. In three minutes, Keiser scored two successive goals to jump out to an early 2-0 lead, showcasing the high-level offense that led them to back-to-back victories over No. 2 William Carey and No. 3 Tennessee Southern the week prior.
The Banyans continued to battle, with New College goalkeeper
Maria Schatzl leading the charge in goal.
New College finally broke the Seahawk back-line in the 31
st minute, when freshman midfielder
Consuelo Di Maria found the back of the net to bring the Banyans back into the match.
The Banyans found the goal again in the 38
th minute when junior forward
Sofia Hernandez Cruz knotted the score at 2 with a beautiful goal on the end of a Di Maria pass.
The Banyans held the Seahawks at two goals up until the final moments of the first half. Keiser added a third goal to their total a mere 5 seconds before the halftime buzzer, shifting the score and momentum of the match.
The Banyans efforts to match the Seahawk's offense ultimately fell short. Keiser added two more goals in the second half to bring their match total to 5. The Seahawk offense generated a mind-blowing 43 total shot attempts, with 22 of those attempts being on goal.
New College goalkeeper
Maria Schatzl put on a staggering defensive display, finishing the match with an astounding 16 saves to go along with 5 goals allowed.
Consuelo Di Maria showcased her all-around ability in her 59 minutes of game time, contributing both a goal and an assist in her first career match as a Banyan.
Sofia Hernandez Cruz continued to showcase her scoring prowess, scoring the Banyans second and final goal.
The Banyans loss moved them to the eighth spot in the conference after one match. The Banyans look to bounce back on Thursday, September 19 when they host N. 17 SCAD Savannah for their second Sun Conference matchup of the season.
