COLUMBIA, S.C - Following their win over Union College (Ky.) last week, CIU women's soccer returned to Sessions Field and added their second Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) victory of the season with a 5-2 win against Johnson University (Tenn.). The Rams faced the Royals last season and left with a 2-1 win. Once again, CIU found success over Johnson (Tenn.) thanks to an exciting second half Wednesday night to bring their record to 4-0-1. 

Scoring Summary: 

The first half of the game was a back-and-forth battle between the two teams. The Royals started hot, scoring in under 30-seconds, with a goal from Nichole Mingey. The Rams did not answer until the 9:16 minute mark on a goal from Marisa Dill with an assist from Avery Long. CIU took the lead after Mercy Berkemeyer scored on an assist from Arianna Elliott. Johnson answered at the 32:50 minute mark, as they tied up the game on a goal from Anna Jo Mullins. 

Starting the second half 2-2, the Royals would not score again in the second half. However, the Rams  came alive scoring three goals in the second half. First, Dill scored her second goal of the game and her third of the season, on an assist from Elliot to break the tie. Then, Haley Hernandez found the net for her first two goals of the season, one at the 66:16 minute mark and another at the 87:25 minute mark, to lift CIU 5-2 over the Royals. Elliott assisted Hernandez on her first goal, while Taylor Kyle assisted on the second. 

Hear from Haley Hernandez postgame:

Up Next: 

CIU remains at home for their next AAC game against Kentucky Christian University on Saturday, Sept. 17, at noon.