Box Score
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Junior Megan Michela (Carol Stream Ill.) broke up an even keeled matchup against Austin Peay in the final minutes Sunday afternoon at E.S. Rose Park. The midfielder's late goal gave Belmont women's soccer its first conference win as it topped APSU, 3-2.
Three has proven to be the magic number for the Bruins (5-3-1, 1-1-0) all season long as they have netted a trio of goals in each five of their victories in 2017, a stat that proved to stand tall once again. After an action filled 11 minute span in the first half left the match all knotted up, 2-2, both teams settled down for more than 50 minutes before Belmont would tally thier third score.
It all started in the 18th minute when junior Emily Whitcomb's (Elmhurst, Ill.) head found a perfectly served corner kick from senior Belicia Mendiola (McKinney, Texas). Whitcomb sat at the far post and patiently waited for Mendiola's volley to descend before charging at the goal and sending the ball into the net to put BU up, 1-0.
Seven minutes later the Bruins doubled their advantage after freshman Sydney Cason (Hendersonville, Tenn.) received a thru ball from junior Tara Austin (Beaumont, Texas) and beat the Governors defense. The rookie then capitalized on a one on one situation with APSU keeper Mary Parker Powell, tapping the ball on the outside of her foot and letting it softly roll into the goal. Austin's assisst marker the fourth time this season that she's contributed to a Bruin goal.
The Governors (5-3-1, 0-1-1) refused to let up as they fired back, notching a pair of goals within 75 seconds of each other. The first came from Carol Larose who maneuvered her way through multiple Bruins before finding an opening. Pamela Penaloza then sent in the equalizer after retrieving a ball that sophomore keeper Lily Herman (Springboro, Ohio) had gotten a piece of but couldn't corral it in time. Penaloza's goal tied the match up, 2-2.
After the scoring frenzy both squads settled in and would hardly give up a shot for the remainder of the match. Belmont's backline kept Austin Peay shotless for the opening 25 minutes of the second stanza and would hold them to three the entire half.
It was a similar story for the Bruins who had only fired off a pair of shots in the second until the final minutes of the match when their offense seemed to wake up. Mendiola got things going when she sent a laser at the frame from the top of the box that nearly missed over the crossbar.
Michela finally had the answer to separate the Bruins from the Governors in the 84th minute when she headed in a cross from sophomore Kameron Ziesig (Brentwood, Tenn.) to tally her second game-winning goal of the season and seal BU first conference win.
