COLUMBIA, S.C. - CIU women's soccer took on No. 10 seed Bryan College (Tenn.) as the No. 7 seed in the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) Tournament opening round. The Rams and Lions met on the pitch just two days prior in Athens, Tennessee, where Bryan defeated the Rams on a second-half goal to end the regular season. However, this time around, CIU got the best of the Lions as they advanced to the next round of the AAC Tournament after a 1-0 victory.
Scoring Summary:
CIU came out of the gate on a mission. The Rams continuously put quality set pieces together throughout the half but weren't able to find the net despite those efforts early.
The Rams took seven shots in the first 13 minutes of play. The most promising came inside the 11' minute as a Lions defender blocked Mercy Berkemeyer's shot attempt to prevent the ball from finding the net.
The Rams ended the first period scoreless but held a healthy 11-6 advantage in shots taken, controlling the narrative for the majority of the 45-minute stretch.
After several close chances, the Rams knew that if they kept battling, a goal would come, and it did in the second half.
In the 49' minute, just after the halftime break, Mercy Berkemeyer struck, finding the loose ball after Ram's breakaway opportunity for the game's first goal.
The Rams remained assertive, winning the fifty-fifty balls and being in place defensively to prevent the Lions from putting in the equalizer. As a result, CIU ended the match victorious to advance to the next round of the AAC Tournament.
What Coach Kara Lail is saying:
"We are proud of the girls for their effort on the field, implementing the game plan well, and their character on the field. It is always difficult playing a team back to back like we did, but the ladies executed well and should be proud of themselves. We are looking forward to seeing Reinhardt on Saturday."
Up Next:
CIU will travel to Waleska, Ga. to take on No. 2 seed Reinhardt University (Ga.) in the Quarterfinals of the AAC Tournament on Saturday, Nov. 5 at 5:30 PM.
