HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – Defense reigned for Union on Sunday afternoon at Alabama-Huntsville, as the Lady Bulldogs held the home side to a season-low two shots on goal in a 1-0 win and remained unbeaten through six conference matches.
Union (5-2-2, 4-0-2 GSC) leapfrogs UAH into third place with 14 points. The Lady Bulldogs sit only behind Montevallo (7-1-0 GSC, 21 points) and West Florida (6-0-1, 19) in the conference standings.
Claire Maxon’s second goal of the season in the 14th minute was all the Lady Bulldogs needed, as they would hang on to post their third shutout win. UAH mustered just seven shots, and all but one were either off-target or uncompetitive.
Union dominated the first 45 minutes, controlling possession and allowing just two shots and no corner kicks. Maxon’s game-winner was set up by Joslyn Greene, who was given space to dribble down the left side of the field. She found Maxon just outside the box, and the graduate student centered herself and sent the ball just inside the left post, past the diving Charger keeper CeCe Szopa.
Union looked to double its advantage with the minutes ticking down in the first half. Madison Woolridge and Irene Arias unsuccessfully placed shots on goal in quick succession, and the Chargers survived the late scare.
The second half offered much of the same: offensive control by Union, sparse counterattacks and generally benign attempts by the home side. In the 81st minute, the Chargers found their best chance of the game when Addison Knauss took a decent strike from 18 yards out, forcing Kirsten LaVallee to range to her right to prevent the equalizer.
UAH’s leading goal scorers – Jayla Gillespie, Michella Tortelli, and Sabrina Sa Silva – were all prevented from taking a shot on goal by the Union defense.
In making two saves and posting her third clean sheet of the season, LaVallee lowered her conference GAA to 0.833, the fourth smallest in the GSC.
Union took five corner kicks in the contest and did not concede one to UAH.
Next, Union will return home to host Spring Hill and West Florida on Friday at 5:00 p.m. and Sunday at 1:00 p.m. Admission at Smith Memorial Soccer Complex is complimentary as a courtesy of FirstBank.
