Women's soccer upsets PAC-leading Thomas More, 1-0

Andrew Woodley, Sports Information Director

BETHANY, W.Va. (Oct. 21) - The Bison only had one shot on goal, but it found its way to the back of the net in the team's 1-0 upset-win over league-leading Thomas More Saturday afternoon at Bison Stadium in a Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) match on Senior Day.

THE MATCHUP

• Final: Bethany 1, Thomas More 0 (Box Score)
• Records: Bethany 6-11, 4-3 PAC | Thomas More 11-4-1, 6-1 PAC
• Location: Bison Stadium | Bethany, West Virginia

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Thomas More had its chances in the first half, but senior goalkeeper Anna Riddle (Mount Pleasant, Pa./Mount Pleasant) was up to the task, making eight saves to keep the game scoreless.
• The Saints kept the pressure on the Bison with five shot attempts in the first 15 minutes of the second half.
• The Bison moved the ball past midfield in the 62nd-minute when freshman Gabby Capaldi (Steubenville, Ohio/Catholic Central) took a shot from about 20 yards out. The ball was mishandled by the Saints goalkeeper and allowed junior Lexie Metz (Frostburg, Md./Mountain Ridge) to put the ball into the back of the net and give Bethany a 1-0 lead with under 28 minutes left in the match.
• Thomas More increased the pressure on the Bison, often leaving just two players on its back line.
• The Bison suffocated all of the Saints' scoring opportunities and Riddle made three saves over the final six minutes of the match to secure the upset victory.

MATCH NOTES

• Riddle earned the shutout win in net for the Bison and ended the match with 13 saves, one-shy of a season-high.
• The Saints held a 24-to-2 advantage in shots, including a 15-to-1 mark in shots-on-goal. Bethany's only shot on goal was Metz's goal in the 62nd-minute.
• Thomas More was receiving votes in the latest United Soccer Coaches Division III Women's Poll. The Saints were also ranked third in the most recent Great Lakes Regional Rankings.
• The win snaps a five-match winning streak by Thomas More over Bethany that dated back to 2011, when the Bison earned a 2-1 win on Hoag Field.
• Metz's goal also snapped a scoreless-streak against the Saints that dated back to the 2011 victory.
• Thomas More had its 55-match streak without a loss in PAC play snapped with Bethany's win. The last prior time the Saints lost in regulation to a league-opponent was the Bison 2-1 win in 2011. Thomas More was 54-0-1 since that match, with the only blemish a tie in 2015 against Grove City.
• Prior to the match the Bison honored their five senior student-athletes for their contributions to the program.

UP NEXT

• Bethany will look to keep things rolling as they make a push for the PAC Tournament. The Bison will host Washington & Jefferson on Wednesday, October 21 on Hoag Field at 4 p.m.
• Washington & Jefferson and Westminster are both one game ahead (5-2 PAC) of Bethany for the final two spots in the postseason tournament. The top-four teams earn bids to the PAC Tournament.
• Live statistics for the match will be available here.