WILMINGTON, Ohio – Mount St. Joseph University (MSJ) broke a 1-1 tie in the 89th minute to narrowly defeat the Wilmington College women's soccer team 2-1 on a rainy afternoon at Williams Stadium on Saturday.
In the waning minutes, Kaylan Gruber broke through the Fightin' Quaker defense down the near sideline of Townsend Field. Wilmington goalkeeper, Leda Moyer, charged the ball, but Gruber beat her to the spot and flicked a low shot past Moyer that snuck just inside the near post for the game-winning goal.
Wilmington needed a comeback to get the game to that point as MSJ took a 1-0 lead off a corner kick in the 10th minute. Kara Vennemeier executed a well-time short corner kick as her pass found the foot of Jodie Weimer, who sent a low ball towards the far post. The intent seemed to be Weimer crossing the ball to a teammate, but no one hit it, including Moyer, until the ball found the side netting on the far post.
The hosts trailed 1-0 after an even first half that featured five shots from either side. Wilmington, however, was the aggressor coming out of halftime as the Quakers fired four shots in the first seven minutes of the second half. One of those shots, from Tiffany Hayes, beat MSj goalkeeper Megan Gilpin, but ricocheted off the post and out of bounds.
A minute later, Wilmington's pressure finally paid off as the Quakers earned a corner kick in the 53rd minute. Alex Vestal's cross it its target – Haley Burge – and Burge did the rest, heading a ball into the upper right-hand corner of the goal.
Wilmington, which held a 10-2 edge in shots in the second half, could not break through the Lion defense again.
The Quakers shot the Lions 15-7 in the game including earning five corner kicks to MSJ's four. Individually, Vestal and Tiffany Hayes both took three shots. Weimer took four of the Lions' seven shots.
Wilmington (2-2-0) returns to action on Wednesday, Sept. 12 for a 5 p.m. match at Ohio Christian University.
