JACKSON, Tenn. – In an electric finish at Smith Memorial Soccer Complex, Union women’s soccer scored in the 90th minute to take down conference-leading Montevallo 1-0 on Saturday afternoon.
By handing Montevallo (5-1-0 GSC) its first conference defeat of the season, the Lady Bulldogs (3-2-2, 2-0-2) remain unbeaten in GSC play, one of just three squads in the conference without a loss through Saturday.
“I really felt like we executed well, we had a good gameplan, and we had some chances in there we felt like we should have finished on, so to have that big, exciting moment at the end was huge for us,” said head coach Josh Alford.
In the opening nine minutes of the match, Rebekah Jackson, Union’s leading scorer, put two shots on goal but couldn’t find an early Lady Bulldog advantage. Union’s defense suffocated Montevallo attacks from the beginning, allowing the visiting side to rarely enter the box and fire just one shot on goal through 45 minutes. The Lady Bulldogs applied near-constant pressure, but none of their nine total shots in the first frame broke through, and the teams entered intermission 0-0.
Though Montevallo organized offensively some after halftime, the teams continued to play scoreless soccer until 89 minutes had elapsed. As the teams drew ever-nearer a blank result, a punched-out ball found junior substitute Lucia Garcia, who rocketed it into the left side of the net from 18 yards out for her first Union goal, igniting raucous delight in the crowded home stands. The visitors, left with little hope for the remaining 51 seconds, saw Union easily drain the clock and hold on to all three points.
Lucia Revuelto began the dramatic scene with a long, right-side free kick directly to the keeper and extended her lead in the GSC assist column on Garcia’s strike. Revuelto has facilitated seven goals this season; no other player in the competition has contributed to more than four.
“Today was a big win for us, especially after not getting a win these past two games and coming out with ties,” Alford said. “We really felt like today was a must-win situation.”
Current GSC Goalkeeper of the Week Kirsten LaVallee made three saves and collected her second clean sheet of the season, lowering her conference GAA to 1.00 – third-lowest in the GSC – and holding Montevallo goalless for just the second time in 2024. Union led the teams in shots 17-9 and shots on goal 6-3.
Before kickoff, the team honored its seven seniors – Rachel Shane, Lilly Ludwig, Rivers Abshere, Joslyn Greene, Ella Neely, Sophie Walsh and LaVallee – for their roles in the revival of Union women’s soccer under coach Alford.
“All credit goes to the girls and their work rate,” the third-year boss said.
Union’s total of 17 shots was its second-most this season, behind only 20 in a 3-0 home win over Christian Brothers. Walsh fired four shots in the contest, while Jackson and Revuelto attempted three apiece.
An excursion to the Yellowhammer state is next on the itinerary for Union, which will spar with West Alabama on Friday (5:00 p.m.) and Alabama-Huntsville on Sunday (1:00 p.m.). With eight points, Union sits in fourth place among 13 teams.
