CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. --- The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga women's soccer team remains unbeaten in Southern Conference action with a 2-1 win over Western Carolina Sunday afternoon at the UTC Sports Complex.
 
The Mocs improve to 3-0-1 overall and 2-0-1 against the league while Western Carolina falls to 1-3 in SoCon play and 2-5 overall.
 
Chattanooga mounted a comeback for the second straight match after falling behind 1-0 in the 27^th minute.
 
Western Carolina's Regan Ward picked up the ball at midfield and dribble down the middle halfway toward the goal before pushing the ball off the outside of her right foot to teammate Maggie Lloyd. With just one touch on the ball, Lloyd was inside the 18-yard box and sent her shot to the far side of the net, under a diving Abbey Saddler to give the Cats the advantage.
 
It wouldn't take long for the equalizer.
 
Chattanooga subbed in six players, including senior Emily Szymanski, on a warm late winter afternoon, immediately after the goal.
 
"The turf was hot – 70 degrees – so we used a lot of players," Mocs head coach Gavin McKinney said. "We tried to keep the group fresh and it paid off for us in the end."
 
The Mocs trailed the Catamounts for less than a minute. Faith Gober fed a brilliant through ball between a pair of Western Carolina defenders to Szymanski. With just one touch on the ball, she was ahead of the defenders and shot the ball low, under a sliding Catamount keeper from about 15 yards out and into the bottom right corner of the net to tie it up 1-1 in the 28^th minute.
 
"That's what you want, right?" McKinney said. "It was a really good ball, E's movement was good, the finish was for us. Phenomenal response when your team goes down 1-nil to equalize that quick."
 
It looked like the Mocs would get their second goal in the 59^th minute. After freshman Ao Yamada had a dead center shot saved, she came back a few minutes later from nearly the same spot and fired off a shot that hit off the cross bar.
 
Ten minutes later the Mocs got what would prove to be the game winner from Kendra Mueller on a scramble in the box.
 
Senior Shelby Hash brought the ball down the right side and served us a pass in the box to Szymanski. Her defender deflected the pass and Mueller picked it up as she entered the box. She made hard contact with the ball before getting taken down by two Catamounts. The ball hit off a defenders raised leg and over the keeper for the score.
 
 "It did seem to be a kind of scramble," McKinney said of the game winner. "Kendra made a movement into the box. It looks like she hit it and then there was a deflection and then lucky for us, it ended up in the back of the net.
 
"I thought it was coming for us right before then. Ao Yamada hit the crossbar and we created some really good chances."
 
Chattanooga outshot the Catamounts 11-9 with a 7-4 shots on goal advantage. Mocs' keeper Abbey Saddler picked up her first win of the season with three saves while Natalie Icen had five saves.
 
The Mocs' Chloe Arnold had three shots with one on goal, Yamada and Osa Iyare had two apiece, each with one on goal while four more Chattanooga players sent a shot toward the net. Lloyd had a game-high four shots and five Western Carolina players each recorded one.
 
The Mocs will hit the road next weekend to take on undefeated Furman Friday night in Greenville at 7:00 p.m. followed by a Sunday matchup at Wofford.
 
SCORING SUMMARY:
26:52     WCU      Maggie Lloyd (Regan Ward)
27:18     UTC        Emily Szymanski (Faith Gober)
68:52     UTC        Kendra Mueller (Shelby Hash)
 
 
TEAM NOTES
- Chattanooga scored a 2-1 victor over Western Carolina … UTC improves to 3-0-1 overall and 2-0-1 in SoCon play … the Catamounts fall to 2-5 on the year and 1-3 against the league.
 
- UTC improves to 8-11-3 against the Catamounts and 4-5-3 at home … this was the first game between the two teams at the UTC Sports Complex.
 
- Second straight game coming from behind to win the game … both scores were 2-1 … first SoCon game to not go into overtime for the Mocs this year.
 
- Second consecutive year UTC has gone 3-0-1 in first four games … best start to the SoCon season.
 
- Second game for Kendra Mueller to get the game winner – second consecutive.
 
INDIVIDUAL
- Emily Szymanski, Sr., F
First goal this season … fifth career goal … has 12 career points.
 
- Kendra Mueller, RFr., F
Second goal this season … third career goal … six career points.
Second game winning goal … previous was scored two days ago against ETSU in OT.

- Abbey Saddler, Jr., GK
Three saves, one goal allowed
First win of the season, third of her career.
0.67 GAA; .800 saves percentage
 
 
QUOTES
HEAD COACH GAVIN MCKINNEY
On the overall play of the game
"It was a difficult game. The turf was hot – 70-degrees – so we used a lot of players. We tried to keep the group fresh. It paid off for us in the end. When we did make changes, players came in and brought good intensity to the game. Overall six points on the weekend, no complaints."
 
On scoring the equalizer less than a minute later
That's the way you want your team to respond, right? It look like we were getting a bit leggy there after the first 25 minutes or so. We had players warming up. I just told them to get on the line. It was less than a minute after we equalized. It was a really good ball, E's movement in behind was good, the finish was there for us. Phenomenal response when your team goes down 1-Nil to equalize that quick.
 
On the game-wining goal
It did seem to be a kind of scramble. Kendra made movement into the box, there was a deflection, and then lucky for us it ended up in the back of the net.