Buena Vista, VA - With the postseason on the horizon, the Southern Virginia University women's soccer team took care of business in their regular season finale to solidify home-field advantage in the tournament's first round, defeating Mary Baldwin, 2-0.
While the Knights have enjoyed great success against Mary Baldwin in recent matchups, they knew that this match had major implications on tournament seeding. In the 14th minute, a shot from Knights forward Paisley Hinton was stopped by the goalkeeper, but Soana Akinaka never gave up on the play and poked home a loose ball before the keeper could grab control. The early momentum helped Southern Virginia to send a barrage of shots toward the opponents' goal, creating numerous scoring chances throughout the evening.
Less than ten minutes after her first strike, Akinaka was at it again, this time on the receiving end of a beautiful cross from Maybel Harris. In the middle of the box, she sent a header past the keeper for her second goal of the night to continue a stellar freshman campaign. Bailey Ricker found the top woodwork in the 33rd minute for the Knights next closest chance of the half, adding to their 17 attempted shots in the opening frame.
The second half was a typical, possession-dominant Knights performance. The shooting gallery continued, and Mary Baldwin's attacking opportunities were limited. Head Coach Rob Dahl went deep into his bench, keeping fresh legs on the field. Despite the play being tilted toward the Mary Baldwin cage, Southern Virginia goalkeeper Chloe Miller was solid in goal, stopping every shot she faced and turning away several dangerous crosses.
As the clock ran out, the Knights successfully preserved their 2-0 lead and emerged with their sixth conference win. With the victory, Southern Virginia remained the fourth seed in the USA South standings, clinching home-field advantage for the first round of the conference tournament. They face the fifth seed, Meredith, at Knights Stadium on Saturday, November 2nd.
For the most up-to-date information and details on the team, visit knightathletics.com and follow @knight_wsoc on Instagram.
