CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. --- The Chattanooga women's soccer team is off to its best start in school history as it edged Austin Peay 4-3 on a rainy Sunday afternoon at the North River Soccer Complex to remain undefeated.
The Lady Mocs improve to 5-0-0 overall and Austin Peay falls to 1-7-1.
"Today was not going to be a game of skill," UTC Head Coach J.D. Kyzer said. "Water is the great equalizer. It slows fast teams. I told them this was going to become a mudbowl, a kickball match and it did."
Austin Peay got the scoring started early with a goal by Kellie Cannon at the 10:07 mark. It was the first goal given up by Chattanooga keeper Taylor Davidson (Ooltewah, Tenn.) all season. Cannon's first shot at the goal was blocked by Davidson, but Cannon was able to get the carom and send it into the net to put the Lady Govs up 1-0.
It would be 23 minutes before the Lady Mocs evened the score on a goal by sophomore Donna-Kay Henry (Queens Village, N.Y.), her fifth of the season. Henry took a pass from Kelsey Swann (Hixson, Tenn.) in the box to shoot it past APSU's keeper Carley Newman with 33:28 gone in the game.
The score would remain tied through the halftime break, but the Lady Mocs would jump out quickly to get the lead on a goal from junior Kelly Downs (Hixson, Tenn.). Freshman Becca Smith (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) sent a pass from the left side of the box to Downs on the right to put UTC up 2-1 at the 45:59 mark.
Freshman Anna Cusick (Norcross, Ga.) scored her first collegiate goal 10 minutes later. With 55:53 gone in the game, Smith sent a pass from the left this time to the right and Cusick scored on a diving header into the bottom right of the goal past keeper Mackenzie Ladd.
The eventual game winner game on a break away by freshman Hayley Sloan (Murfreesboro, Tenn.). Sloan took a pass from Smith at midfield and had just one defender to get past as she pushed forward and beat out the keeper to give the Lady Mocs a 4-1 lead with 59:29 on the clock.
Austin Peay cut the lead in half at the 76:08 mark on an unassisted goal from Samantha Northrup, scoring off a deflection. The Lady Govs would get even closer on a penalty kick on a hand ball inside the box. Cannon took the shot at the 84:47 mark and beat out Davidson to get the Lady Govs to make it a slim 4-3 advantage for UTC.
Despite the push from Austin Peay, the Lady Mocs would hold on to remain undefeated. Five consecutive wins is Chattanooga's best start in school history, surpassing the four straight wins to start the 2004 season.
"We got a little comfortable with out lead. We put in players who haven't had the chance to play much because we start conference play next week," Kyzer said. "That's the most important thing for us is the conference. It was hard to play out there. You take a step and slide and the more new people you get in there, the more it happens."
Smith recorded three assists in the game, all in the second half, and tied for second best in school history.
"We have two of the most unselfish strikers," Kyzer said. "It takes more than one person to mark D.K. and that opens up Becca. When they cover her, she's able to make the pass to players like Hayley Sloan, Kelly Downs and Anna Cusick."
The Lady Mocs will travel to Charleston, S.C., to start Southern Conference play Friday, Sept. 25 against the College of Charleston and remain in the Palmetto State to take on The Citadel on Sunday.
GOAL Time Team Goal Scorer Assists
1 10:07 APSU Kellie Cannon (unassisted)
2 33:28 UTC Donna-Kay Henry (5) Kelsey Swann
3 45:59 UTC Kelly Downs (2) Becca Smith
4 55:53 UTC Anna Cusick (1) Becca Smith
5 59:29 UTC Hayley Sloan (1) Becca Smith
6 76:08 APSU Samantha Northrup (unassisted)
7 84:47 APSU Kellie Cannon Penalty kick
