MIAMI SHORES, Fla. – In a battle of two of the South Region's top three teams, the No. 15 Nova Southeastern University women's soccer team fell for the first time in over a month, 2-0 to No. 7 Barry.
In the first official NCAA Region Rankings released Wednesday, Barry (10-2-1, 6-1-1 SSC) was placed atop the list, while the Sharks slotted third (10-3-0, 4-2-0 SSC). The match did not disappoint, bookended by two Bucs' goals at the very beginning and very end of play, marking the first time NSU has been shut out this season.
The initial shot of the contest, taken by Barry's Rayah Seckler, was saved but deflected by Shark goalkeeper
Amanda Kopale (R-Jr., Cape Coral, Fla.). It rebounded right to Christy Grimshaw, who placed it in from three yards out just 4:03 into the game and a 1-0 lead.
The Sharks would go on to fire seven shots at Barry's Paula Forero from then until intermission. Three were saved, off the feet of
Sierra Lelii (R-Sr., Seminole , Fla.) at 24:32; by
Bailey Corbin (So., Lampeter, Pa.) just seconds later at 25:17 (after
Elizabeth Haumschild's (Sr., Riverview, Fla.) shot was blocked), and finally, by
Emily Stearns at 41:48.
Kopale has two saves of her own at that point, and would end up with seven in the match, not to mention two second-half shots by Barry that hit the crossbar. Forero would gather only one save after the break, at 77:20 off a shot from Lelii. That came in between two successful grabs by Kopale, but the third would not be the charm, as with 3:07 left, Amanda Traynor beat her to near post. That would be the last shot of the contest and would seal the home team's 2-0 win.
Lelii had the most attempts for the Sharks with four, and
Julia Nytorp (Sr., Örnsköldsvik, Sweden) added two. The decision snapped a program record-tying eight wins in a row by NSU; the last loss that they incurred was 36 days ago, on Sept. 16.
The Sharks will look to start a new streak with their next-to-last contest of the regular season this Saturday, in St. Petersburg, Florida against Eckerd. The campaign wrap-up is the following Thursday, Oct. 29, a makeup game at home vs. Saint Leo.
