CLEVELAND, Tenn. - Exploding for seven goals in the first half and winning 10-0 over visiting Spring Hill College came as no surprise to Lee University soccer coach Lee Hughes. "We have had our chances all year, but out shots started going into the back of the net today", commented the coach after his team improved to 5-1-2 in GSC play and 8-1-3 overall. The visiting Badgers dropped to 3-2-3 and 4-4-4.
Sunday's match at the Ray Conn Sports Complex was played on a cool and cloudy day. The contest was moved from Saturday to Sunday because of suspected windy and rainy conditions from hurricane Isaias. The Lady Flames will remain at home and will host the University of Alabama in Huntsville on Wednesday at 5 p.m.
The seven goals scored by the Lady Flames in the first half were the most scored in a half since Oct. 11, 2011 at Emmanuel University. Coach Hughes went to his bench freely throughout the 90-minute affair and used a total of 23 players on Sunday, and eight different Lady Flames put points on the board.
Isabella Valentine scored off a corner kick from Megan Davis to put Lee on top 1-0 at the 5:28 mark. Valentine and Megan Davis teamed up again on a corner kick with 10:02 showing. Valentine headed the corner kick into the net. She picked up her third and fourth goals of the year while Davis was credited with a pair of assists.
Megan Davis got the next tally for Lee at the 12:58 mark. After picking up the assist from Emma Nelson, Davis flipped her shot over the head of the keeper. The Lady Flames waited until the 30th minute before the next scoring began. Sam Sheffield fired a beautiful 25-yard shot into the back of the net from the left wing.
At the 33:49 mark, it was freshman Audrey O'Meara's turn to score her second goal of the year. She picked up an assist from Riley Bradley and then stepped past the Badger keeper and placed her shot into the back of the net. Less than three minutes later (36:16), Abigail Davis recorded her second goal of the year. It was another long shot from 25 yards out into the far-left corner of the goal. The final score of the first half came from Maddie Davis. Her third tally of the season was assisted by Whitney Carrigan. It was chipped over the keeper from the top of the box.
Nelson picked up her fifth and sixth goals to open the second half of play in the 52nd and 54th minutes. The red-shirt freshman's first tally of the second stanza was assisted by Moa Ekman. The shot went into the far corner of the net after going over the head of the keeper. Nelson's second score was assisted by Addie Chapman. The game's final score was posted by Sydney Clements. The unassisted goal was her second of the year.
Lee fired a total of 22 shots and placed a solid 14 on goal. The Lady Flames defense limited Spring Hill to only one shot the entire day, and it was on goal. Abby Whitcomb got the save and recorded her eighth win of the year. Henley Grunst came on and played the final 30 minutes in goal. Ava Bell opened in the net for Spring Hill. She allowed seven goals and was charged with the defeat. Greenley Duplantis played the final 45 minutes in goal for the Badgers.
The Lady Flames had seven corner kicks and the visitors two. The Badgers were whistled for seven fouls and Lee nine. There was one yellow card issued.
Coach Lee Hughes's Thoughts:
"Great team win today, but not because it was 10-0, but because of the team culture, grit and determination. We preach all the time we need to get better tomorrow than we were today. We will take what we had today and work to get better."
