Danville, KY, Centre returned home for a second-season matchup against John Carroll.
Centre and John Carroll University battled through a competitive opening period, with both teams creating scoring opportunities but neither finding the back of the net.
Centre threatened early, as
Lola Florea sent a shot wide in the opening minutes before the Colonels earned a penalty corner midway through.
Ashley Hamilton put a shot on target, but John Carroll goalkeeper Ellison Hilgendorf saved it.
John Carroll responded with offensive pressure, forcing Center goalkeeper
Addie Sheridan into several saves.
Sheridan denied shots from Kierra Maxie and Sophia Schultheis after a penalty corner at 9:10. Still, Hilgendorf saved
Abbie Woolley's shot to end the quarter.
The second period saw both John Carroll University and Centre create scoring chances, but strong goalkeeping kept the game scoreless.
Centre tested John Carroll goalkeeper Ellison Hilgendorf early, with
Olivia Vonderheide and
Taylor Fuqua recording shots on goal. John Carroll responded with a Kierra Maxie attempt that sailed high before earning a penalty corner.
The Blue Streaks followed with back-to-back shots from Sophia Schultheis and Kennedi Spencer, but Centre goalkeeper
Addie Sheridan turned both away to keep John Carroll off the scoreboard. Centre continued to pressure, forcing another save from Hilgendorf on a
Rylee Carothers shot.
Fuqua later sent an attempt wide, while Francesca Rao also missed wide for John Carroll late in the period.
Despite opportunities on both ends, neither team found the back of the net in the second period, as both goalkeepers made key saves to maintain the deadlock.
In the opening moments of the half, Centre found the back of the net when
Ashley Hamilton sent one through off a penalty corner from
Abbie Woolley.
Both teams traded offensive pressure as the Colonels added two more shots wide and a penalty corner, and the Blue Streaks earned a penalty corner and a shot wide to end the period, Centre up 1-0 heading into the 4th.
John Caroll came into the fourth period on a mission, and the team opened the quarter with a goal from Kierra Maxie to tie it up.
The Blue Streaks kept the offensive momentum going with a penalty corner that led to four back-to-back shots on goal, but
Addie Sheridan stayed strong in goal and didn't let one in.
That was until Morgan Payne snuck one in with less than 30 seconds left to take the lead; the Colonels couldn't mount a comeback as they fell at home 2-1.
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