NEWBERRY, S.C. – The Newberry women’s soccer team went to Greenwood, S.C. for a soccer match with Lander University. What they got was dogfight, battling back and forth with a determined Lady Bearcat team, finally slaying Lander late in the game 4-3. The Lady Indians improve to 8-2 on the season and needs a paltry one victory to tie the program record for wins in a season.
“I am a little disappointed with our performance as a team tonight,” said head coach Juan Pablo Favero. “We did not show the kind of defensive discipline we have shown in previous games.”
Favero has a point, as the Lady Indians tied their season high for goals allowed in a game (3). But Newberry’s offensive attack continued to function like a well oiled machine, scoring four times in the victory. Something has to be said for the improving resiliency of this young squad. Consider this: Both of the Newberry losses this season followed the same general formula, both times teams scored early to put the Indians down. Both times the Indians were not able to recover.
This time they did.
Lander put the Lady Indians down 1-0 in the 28th minute, courtesy of Bearcat freshman Jannica Finnberg (Hanko, Finland), scoring off a corner kick. Finnberg completed the hat trick against Newberry, scoring three goals on six total shots. The Indians leveled the match on a shot from reigning South Atlantic Conference Player of the Week Brooke Tumblin (Florence, S.C.). The ball was sent in with force, enough so that the Lander keeper watched the shot bounce off her hands and into the goal. Inga Woiwode (El Paso, Tex.) was credited with the assist on the goal.
Lander called on its Finnish connection for the go ahead goal just two minutes later, as Finnberg found herself open amidst a breakdown in the Newberry defense, dribbling into the middle of the box, and sending a shot to the left of Indian keeper Danielle Beckerle (St. Louis, Mo.).
In the 38th minute, Newberry junior Kristin Parker (LaPorte, Tex.) notched the second equalizer for Newberry on the night. On a free kick, Jackie Oertli (St. Louis, Mo.) found Woiwode, who in turn found Parker 18 yards outside of the box. Parker finished well, sending a screamer past the keeper. It was the third goal of the season for Parker. The Indians entered the half with the score knotted at two.
The match remained tied until the 68th, when Indians leading scorer Woiwode sublimely controlled a pass from Adriana Farfan (West Palm Beach, Fla.), and put the ball in the back of the net. Indians 3, Bearcats 2.
The game-winner was notched a mere three minutes later, when Farfan ended her six-game goal scoring drought, beating Lander keeper Katherine Duncan (Hilton Head, S.C.). It was Farfan’s fifth goal of the season. She continues to be tied for the team lead for assists with seven.
Finnberg completed her hat trick for Lander in the 85th minute, but it was too little, too late, as the Indians escaped with the road victory.
Even though Favero left Greenwood with disappointment, it was tempered by the following thoughts:
“Although we took advantage of our scoring opportunities, we did not play as well as we have or as well as we can play, and that is where the disappointment comes in. That being said, we showed a lot of heart and resiliency in coming back from a one goal deficit twice in the game and withstood a late charge from a very determined Lander team. I hope out players will use tonight’s experience to learn important lessons and we will go back to training ground to continue to improve.”
The Lady Indians have a tough one coming up, as they SAC preseason favorite #13 Tusculum at the Newberry Soccer Complex, Saturday at 3 p.m.
