FLORENCE, Ala. – The University of North Alabama women's soccer team flexed its muscles on Sunday evening and remained unbeaten during the 2015 season by posting a 3-0 Gulf South Conference (GSC) victory over visiting Lee.
The Lions wasted no time (16:33) in gaining a 1-0 advantage over the Lady Flames as Beatriz Fernandez slipped a shot just past Lee goalkeeper Haley Gribler. The margin remained 1-0 at the half-time break but the Lions had plenty of ammunition left for the second half.
""We played a very strong team tonight," said coach Chris Hennessey. "They're ranked 14th in the nation for a reason and will be very difficult to beat over the course of the season."
The 5-0-1 Lions remained unbeaten and also hold 2-0 record in GSC play. The Lady Flames slipped to 1-3-2 on the year. Lee will seek to rebound on Friday when they continue their road adventures at the University of West Georgia.
In the 62nd minute Kylie Huey drilled a laser from midfield into the back of the net and put North Alabama up 2-0. Earlier she had an assist on the goal scored by Fernandez. Another long bomb added to the damage as Chloe Richards blasted a shot into the upper left corner of the net. The assist was credited to Eleanor Costello.
It was another contest in which the Lady Flames had some opportunities. The stubborn North Alabama defense limited Lee to eight shots but four were on goal with one hitting the bar and bouncing away. The Lions recorded 12 shots and directed eight on goal. Gribler had five saves in the loss, while North Alabama's Shelby Thornton registered four saves.
Lee had five corner kick chances and limited the Lions to only one. Richards now has nine goals on the year for the surging North Alabama club and Huey follows with five. North Alabama is coached by former Lee men's soccer player Chris Walker, who also was a Lee assistant before taking the head job at North Alabama.
