Box Score
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – With its back to the wall, Belmont women's soccer never let up as they scored three consecutive goals to edge Western Carolina, 3-2, Friday afternoon at E.S. Rose Park.
For the second consecutive game, the Bruins mounted a come-from-behind victory in dramatic fashion to start the season 2-0 for the first time since 2014. It was a pair of rookies that would come up clutch for the Bruins after they found themselves trailing, 1-0, at the start of the second half.
The Bruins dominated in the attacking third during the first stanza, launching 11 shots to the Catamounts four. They opened the game firing off four in the opening five minutes, including landing a pair on frame. Freshman forward Julie Garst (Franklin, Tenn.) got the action started as she forced Western Carolina's keeper, Jacquelyn Gnassi, to settle in quickly and register a save in the fourth minute. Sophomore midfielder Emily Whitcomb (Elmhurst, Ill.) gathered the rebound and sent another bullet at Gnassi, but she once again stepped in front of the ball and kept the Bruins from taking an early advantage.
After a scoreless first frame, Western Carolina struck first with Jordan Dawsey sending in a shot from nearly 25 yards out in the 57th minute before Belmont would take control. With just three minutes expiring since the Catamount goal, Garst corralled an assist from Belicia Mendiola (McKinney, Texas) and weaved through dense WCU traffic before tapping in the equalizer.
With the momentum on its side, Belmont continued to put pressure on Western Carolina as it once again found the back of the net on the squads ninth corner of the match. Veteran Heather Ferrari (Duluth, Ga.) served a perfect ball into the eight-yard box, meeting the head of Whitcomb who delivered to give BU its first advantage of the match, 2-1.
Belmont showed no signs of slowing down as rookie forward Sydney Cason (Hendersonville, Tenn.) found herself one-on-one with the WCU keeper, Natalia Icen, who replaced Gnassi for the second frame. Cason fired a shot that Icen blocked but the freshman stuck with it, collected her rebound and tired again, this time getting past the keeper to put the Bruins up, 3-1, with 13 minutes remaining.
Western Carolina refused to go down quietly as they used a goal from Megan McCallister to come within one in the 85th minute, but that's all that Belmont would allow to seal the victory.
Freshman Abby Hunt (Surrey, British Columbia, Canada) earned her first career start in goal, logging all 90 minutes and recording a trio of saves. As a team, Belmont tallied 10 corners and outshot their opponent, 19-11.
UP NEXT
The Bruins return home on Sunday, Aug. 27 to take on Tennesee-Wesleyan at 4 p.m. inside E.S. Rose Park.
