LEXINGTON, KY — Transylvania women's soccer secured the No. 3 seed in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament with a 2-0 victory over Franklin College Wednesday night at Pat Deacon Stadium.
Transylvania established its offensive presence early, with Gracie Carrigan forcing a save from Franklin goalkeeper Emma Watson in the 11th minute. Ellie Held and Maggie Johnson followed with shots on goal in the 17th minute, but Watson turned away both attempts to keep the match scoreless. Franklin generated an opportunity of its own in the 21st minute when Lauren Barker tested Carrie Stevens, who made the save to preserve the tie.
The Pioneers broke through in the 27th minute when Held found the back of the net to give Transylvania a 1-0 advantage. Franklin looked to respond with several opportunities late in the opening half, but Stevens made saves on attempts from Alaina Kellerman and Daphne Wright to maintain the lead. Transylvania entered halftime holding a 1-0 advantage after outshooting Franklin 7-6 in the opening 45 minutes.
Transylvania carried its offensive momentum into the second half, generating several early scoring opportunities. Eva Blanke recorded a header in the 47th minute before Reagan Johansen added an attempt in the 49th minute. Blanke followed with another shot in the 56th minute as the Pioneers continued to apply pressure.
The Pioneers doubled their advantage in the 59th minute when Johansen found the back of the net to extend the lead to 2-0. The goal came shortly after a Transylvania corner kick, giving the Pioneers a two-goal cushion with just over 30 minutes remaining.
Franklin continued searching for a response in the closing stages, with Trinity Inglert striking the crossbar in the 76th minute. Stevens made another save on Emma Myers in the 77th minute before turning away Amirah Curry's attempt in the 87th minute to preserve the shutout.
Held and Johansen led the Transylvania offense with one goal apiece. Held finished with three shots, including two on goal, while Johansen recorded two attempts with one on target. Blanke added three shots, while Carrigan and Maggie Johnson each registered a shot on goal. Stevens played all 90 minutes in goal, recording five saves to earn the shutout.
With the victory, Transylvania secured the No. 3 seed in the HCAC Tournament, finishing conference play with a 6-1-2 record. The Pioneers closed the regular season with a shutout victory at Pat Deacon Stadium as they prepare for postseason competition.
Transylvania is set to face off against No. 6 Franklin on Saturday at Pat Deacon Stadium at 1 PM.
Transylvania University is a proud member of NCAA Division III and the HCAC. To keep up to date with all of Transylvania Athletics, check out our website at transysports.com and follow @TransySports on Instagram.
