CHARLESTON, S.C. --- Just two days after dropping its first match of the season, the Lady Mocs soccer team fell 1-0 to The Citadel in league action and fall to 5-2 overall and 0-2 against Southern Conference opponents. The Bulldogs move to 4-6-0 overall and even their conference mark to 1-1.
"Today's game was the same as the Charleston game," UTC Head Coach J.D. Kyzer said. "We had plenty of chances, but we couldn't get it in. They played harder than we did and it paid off in the end."
Despite outshooting the Bulldogs 24-10, only five UT shots were on goal. Freshman Becca Smith (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) pounded the Citadel defense getting off a personal best nine shots with two on goal. Donna-Kay Henry (Queens Village, N.Y.) got off four shots while freshman Anna Cusick (Norcross, Ga.) and Hayley Sloan (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) each got off a pair of shots.
The lone goal of the game came late off the foot of the Citadel's Nicole Martinoli who leads the Bulldogs with six goals this year. With 82:50 gone in the game, Martinoli took a pass from Dianna Martin and sent a shot to the far corner past UTC keeper freshman Taylor Davidson (Ooltewah, Tenn.) who had three saves in the game.
The Citadel's keeper Whitney Nave had five saves in the game and recorded her first shutout improving to 2-6. Martinoli and Nikki Mares each led the Bulldogs with three shots apiece and Amy Loughran had two shots with both on goal.
This is Chattanooga's first loss to the Bulldogs in nine games and just the Lady Mocs second loss of the year after starting the season 5-0 with four shutouts.
"We just weren't read to play today and that's not all their fault," Kyzer said. "We played a tough game on Friday and in the last two weeks, because of the weather, we have only had four training sessions. I'm not making excuses. It just affects the players and their game when we can't get onto the field every day. It makes it tough when you get into conference play."
The Lady Mocs will return home to host Appalachian State on Friday, Oct. 2 at 7 p.m. at the North River Complex and then Western Carolina on Sunday at 2 p.m. Live stats will be available at GoMocs.com and admission is free.
