Wingate, N.C. – Newberry women's soccer continued their season with a match against Wingate on Saturday, falling 3-0 against their conference foe.
The Wolves got off to a rough start this time around, as an early attack resulted in a first-minute goal for the Bulldogs, with senior McKenna Delong scoring off an assist by Caroline Peters. The Wolves responded with a quick opportunity themselves, generating a corner kick and forcing the keeper to make a save, but the defenses for both teams soon settled in.
For 20 minutes neither team was able to put a shot on goal until Wingate struck again in the 23
rd minute. This time it was Peters who got the score, as she received a pass from sophomore Pauline Vincent and sent a shot ricocheting off the crossbar and into the net.
Holding an early lead, Wingate looked to preserve their advantage. The Wolves generated more opportunities in the half with a 7-5 edge in shots, but they headed into the break with a two-goal deficit.
Coming into the second half, the Bulldogs might have been expected to play defensively, but instead they came out looking to extend their lead. With the home team putting constant pressure on the ball, it took until the 75
th minute for the Wolves to really threaten goal, as they had three quick shots turned away.
Wingate regained control of the pace of play after this scare, sending out the next seven shots of the game. As the clocked ticked down, pressure increased on the Wolves to cut the deficit. But after a chaotic sequence in which Newberry fired three shots in 17 seconds, Wingate keeper Katrine Thisgaard made her third save of the night to end the threat.
With Newberry desperate to get on the board, a Bulldog counterattack would give them another goal in the final minute. After Wolves keeper
Kalee Opalka made her sixth save of the night, Wingate freshman Courtney Schuck was there to net the rebound with just over half a minute remaining on the clock, putting the score at 3-0 for the final tally.
The season continues for the Wolves as they host Coker University under the lights on Wednesday, October 6 at 7:30 p.m.