Newberry, S.C. – Newberry women's soccer continued their season with a matchup against conference foe Lincoln Memorial University, falling by a score of 3-1.
 
The Wolves took on their second fierce opponent this week, playing host to the undefeated Railsplitters of LMU. Facing a team that had scored 13 goals on the season while allowing just two may have been a daunting task for Newberry, but the team came out with confidence and poise from the start. The Wolves controlled possession early on, playing it back when necessary to keep the tempo in their favor. This measured approach yielded a trio of early shots, but LMU would soon take over the pace of play. The Railsplitters began collapsing on the Newberry ballhandlers more effectively, forcing the Wolves to play on their side of the field too often. The pressure yielded its first result in the 34^th minute, when forward Rachel Taylor fired a shot from outside the box that found net to put her team on the board. Just three minutes later, the senior repeated her feat, loosing another shot from almost the same spot and once again finding the upper right corner of the goal to record her seventh score this season.
 
Coming out of the halftime up 2-0, the Railsplitters looked to be firmly in control of the game, but the Wolves had other ideas. Newberry came out of the break with an intensity that surprised their opponents and soon reaped the reward. Just over a minute into the half, sophomore Ashlee Rotert crashed into the box, swiped the ball from the LMU defense, and beat the keeper one-on-one to score her second goal of the season. This was just the second game this year in which the Railsplitters allowed a goal.  With the home team only down one, the Wolves continued to attack, but the LMU defense tightened up in response, clogging passing lanes and refusing to allow clean shots. The visitors also launched some efficient counterattacks, most notably in the 73^rd minute, when sophomore Corrine Denton was able to control a deflection and fire in a shot to put the Railsplitters up 3-1.
 
Facing one of their toughest opponents this season, the Wolves were able to hold their own against a very strong team. While LMU held a 21 to 11 edge in total shots, Newberry keeper Delaney Hood made eight saves on the night and the Wolves spent much of their game on the attack. Newberry actually held the edge in total possession time, controlling the ball for 54% of the game. Although they struggled at times to find good looks at goal, the improved control the team has exhibited recently shows that their work is paying off.
 
Conference play continues for the Wolves with a matchup against Limestone University on Wednesday, September 29 at the Smith Road Complex.