Bison Women’s Soccer Opens 2015 With Victory Over Marietta
Sept. 1 – MARIETTA, Ohio – Behind a multi-goal effort by sophomore Michaela Hinerman, the Bethany College women's soccer team (1-0) upended Marietta College by a 3-2 score on Tuesday afternoon in Marietta.
Hinerman (Weirton, W. Va./Brooke) got the Bison started on the right foot as she scored 14 minutes into the 2015 campaign. Bethany's leading goal scorer from a season ago, Hinerman received a solid pass from junior Julie Slezak (Latrobe, Pa./Greater Latrobe), heading the ball off the post and into the goal to give the Bison a 1-0 lead.
The Pioneers responded just four minutes later as Ashley Montgomery beat Bison keeper Taylor Sasak (Berea, Ohio/Berea) in the lower left-hand corner to knot the game at 1-1 with just under 19 minutes gone in the contest.
Bethany would once again pull ahead in the 36th minute as Brittany Fullbright (Wadsworth, Ohio/Wadsworth) found the net for her first goal of the season. The tally came unassisted as Fullbright found the net off the post to give the Green & White the 2-1 advantage. The Bison would enter the break leading by the same score.
The seesaw affair would continue just seven minutes into the second half as Marietta would once again knot the score. Ali Kowal found the net with an unassisted shot in the 58th minute, and the contest was tied at 2-2.
The Bison would need just 45 seconds to once again pull ahead as Hinerman found the net with her second goal of the match. After Fullbright narrowly missed her second score of the game, hitting the crossbar with a hard shot, Hinerman followed the play. She gathered the miss and buried it past the keeper for what would be the game-winning score.
Over the final 32 minutes, Sasak put the goal on lockdown to help seal the victory for the Bison. Despite being outshot 13-5 over the final stretch, Sasak was solid, stopping six shots. The last-ditch effort by the Pioneers would come in a seven-minute stretch between the 77th and 84th minutes. Marietta held a 6-1 advantage in shots in that time, but Sasak made five saves, willing the Bison to the 3-2 victory.
Overall, the Green & White were outshot 25-17, but Sasak stayed solid in the net, posting 12 saves in the win. The Bison made the most of their opportunities on offense, placing just seven shots on goal, but connecting with three.
Individually, Hinerman led the way, posting the third multi-goal game of her young career. The sophomore finished the game with two goals and four points, giving her 14 total goals and 30 points in 19 career games.
Other offensive leaders for the Green & White included Fullbright, who tallied a goal and two points on four shots. Slezak finished the day with one point and one assist with two shots on goal, while Sarah London (Whitehouse Station, N.J./Hunterdon Central) tallied two shots.
The Bison will be back in action on Saturday, September 5, as they travel to Pittsburgh, Pa. to take on La Roche College. The contest with the Red Hawks is scheduled for a 1 p.m. start.
