PENSACOLA, Fla. – Nova Southeastern used three goals within 17 second-half minutes to hand Union a 4-1 loss in the opening round of the NCAA Division II women’s soccer tournament Friday afternoon on the campus of West Florida.
Union’s season ends at 10-6-2 (8-2-2 GSC), while the Sharks improve to 8-5-2 (4-2-3 SSC) and will face the 1-seeded Argonauts on Sunday.
NSU struck early with Ella Niemela’s first goal of the season at 8:27. Niemela’s free-kick from the right side of the box sailed past Kirsten LaVallee, beating the Union keeper to her right. The Sharks took a 1-0 advantage into halftime, having out-shot the Lady Bulldogs 9-6 (6-4 on goal).
Union had a handful of chances but lacked the coordination necessary to level before the break-the Lady Bulldogs were called offside five times in the first 45 minutes.
Rebekah Jackson scored an equalizer just over a minute into the second half on a ball chipped forward by Lucia Revuelto. Jackson sidestepped the keeper and found a wide-open net for her team-leading seventh goal of the season.
The Sharks retook the lead at 68′ on Kajsa Lang’s first of the season, and by the time Genesis Hernandez cashed in at minutes 76 and 85, the Lady Bulldog season was winding to an end.
LaVallee made seven saves in her 18th start of the season.
Jackson tallied three of Union’s nine shots on goal, while Claire Maxon and Ebba Detulleo had two apiece.
