SALISBURY, N.C. – The Nova Southeastern University women's soccer team gave head coach John Constable his first win atop the program, fending off two Catawba ties, and winning with a goal coming with just over seven minutes to go, 3-2.
 
The Sharks got on the scoreboard quickly, as Sierra Lelii (R-Sr., Seminole, Fla.) scored with the season just four minutes old, cashing in off a counter and runout to fire the ball into the back of the net. Alex Hulsey of Catawba knotted things up five minutes later, on what would be the team's only shot of the half, and neither side dented the scoreboard for the next nearly 20 minutes of gametime.
 
It was at 27:31 when NSU again took the lead, this time off the foot of sophomore Carley Montgomery (Sanford, Fla.). The 2-1 advantage held through the halftime break and for more than half of the second frame.
 
Again, Catawba pushed through for the tie, on a lob by Kristina Hoff in the 75th minute. Even with this score, the Sharks had maintained doing a good job limiting shots, as the home team only attempted five following intermission.
 
The game-winning talley was scored at 82:47, on Lelii's second goal of the match. After a foul in the box, she sent in a rocket from close-in on an indirect free kick, with the assist credited to Samantha Gestido (Sr., Hialeah, Fla.), and the Sharks held off any other attempts for the remaining seven minutes to clinch the victory.
 
Gaining her first collegiate victory in goal, in her first career start, was Jordan Lentz (So., Fort Myers, Fla.), who came up with three saves on the night. Lelii led the team with nine shots, five coming on goal, while Sarah Keville (Sr., Vero Beach, Fla.) had two of her three attempts on target. In all, the Sharks had 22 shots (14 on goal) compared to the Catawba Lady Indians' six and five.
 
NSU is back on the pitch on Sunday at noon when they face Pfeiffer, just down the road in Misenheimer, North Carolina.