Box Score
Box score
MARS HILL, N.C. - Freshman forward Kenzie Van Heusen knocked in
a rebound from a free kick with 26 seconds remaining and handed
Anderson University women's soccer a 2-1 victory over South
Atlantic Conference rival Mars Hill in its regular-season finale on
Saturday at Belk Field.
With the win, the Trojans set the program record for the most
triumphs for a regular season with 14, as they capture their second
straight victory and improve to 14-3 on the season. AU also ends
its conference schedule with an 8-3 mark, as it begins its
postseason on Tuesday with the opening round of the SAC
Championship. Mars Hill (4-13-1, 2-9 SAC) saw its season come to a
close with the setback.
"It's great for our team to end the regular season with such a
convincing record," Anderson head coach Ciaran Traquair said.
"Hopefully it gives us a little boost for the first round of the
SAC Tournament."
The Trojans controlled the majority of the match, out-shooting
the home side 15-3, despite recording just two shots for the first
45 minutes. Junior attacker Idoia Agirre closed the afternoon with
a match-high four shots, while Van Heusen and defender Faith
Johannes followed with three shots apiece.
After a scoreless first half that saw a combined three shots
between the teams, Anderson found the scoreboard early in the 50th
minute when Agirre brought in a pass from teammate Alaina Gay and
struck a shot into the back of the net. Agirre closes the regular
season with 20 goals, becoming the first SAC player since Wingate's
Jade Montgomery to eclipse the 20-goal mark in the season, after
she scored 21 in 19 matches in 2012.
Despite the goal, the Lions fought back seconds later in the
52nd minute when MHU's Abby Mills broke away from the Trojan
backline and netted her first goal of the season to even the score
at 1-1. The goal would come from one of Mars Hill's three shots for
the match.
Following the Lion goal, Anderson fired nine shots for the
remainder of the half until the 10th shot proved costly for the
home side. After the Trojans were awarded a free kick just outside
the Mars Hill 18-yard box, Agirre placed a shot on goal and forced
MHU goalkeeper Tori Stajduhar to make a save. Unable to corral the
shot, Van Heusen found the loose ball inside the box and fired it
past Stajduhar for her ninth goal of the season and make the score
2-1 with 26 seconds left on the clock. For Agirre, the assist was
her seventh of the season, which ties her with Van Heusen for the
team lead.
"It was a very typical end-of-a-season match that lacked energy
and quality," Traquair said. "The tempo and quality was not at the
standard that we expect, but the girls got it done in the end."
Freshman goalkeeper Abby Helm grabbed one save for the
afternoon, as she notched her 13th win between the posts on the
year. Helm's counterpart, Stajduhar, totaled 10 saves for the match
marking her second-highest save total of the campaign.
With the regular season coming to a close, Anderson looks
towards the postseason, seeking its first SAC Championship win in
program history when it travels to fourth-seeded Lenoir-Rhyne on
Tuesday. The matchup will be a rematch of AU's opening-round
contest from last season when L-R ended the Trojans' season with a
3-1 win before eventually advancing to the SAC title match.
Kick-off from Bears Field is scheduled for 7 p.m.