Lexington, Ky. – The Transylvania women's soccer team set the tone for postseason play with a 3-0 statement win over the Franklin College Grizzlies on Wednesday evening at Pat Deacon Stadium.
The win completes the Pioneers' regular season record at 9-5-2 overall and 4-4-1 in Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference play. The loss drops the Grizzlies to 5-11 overall and 4-5 in conference contents.
The Pioneers finished their season with a tie and two wins to earn the No. 5 seed in the upcoming HCAC Tournament where they will take on the No. 4 seed Anderson University Ravens in a Tournament Quarterfinal in Anderson, Indiana on Saturday, October 30th at 11:00 a.m.
The Pioneers were firing on all cylinders from the opening whistle by creating chances, applying pressure, and making crucial stops in the first half to halt all Grizzly momentum. Abby Baker delivered the game's opening goal after Audrey Rawls was brought down by the Franklin goalkeeper to earn a penalty kick. Baker slotted the ball into the corner and put the Pioneers in front, 1-0 in the 19th minute.
For the remainder of the half, the Pioneers could not find a spark to increase their lead. The Pioneers heated back up midway through the second half as the corresponding goal arrived in the 64th minute as a bad clearance left the ball at Rawls' feet from around 25 yards out. The freshman delivered a wonder strike that soared into the back of the net to double the advantage for the Pioneers.
The offensive barrage concluded in the 81st minute as Baker laced a shot that forced a great save from the Franklin goalkeeper. Pioneer sophomore Allison O'Hara pounced on the rebound from a tight angle along the left edge of the goal and scored to complete the 3-0 victory for Transylvania.
The Pioneers' dominance was evident in the shot column as they had a 24-2 advantage and a 13-2 edge in shots on goal.
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