The Official Athletics Site of Truett McConnel University

COLUMBIA, S.C. – A penalty kick score by Anabella Moron proved to be the difference as No. 8 Truett McConnell women's soccer (12-1-1, 9-0 AAC) grazed past Columbia International (6-3-4, 4-3-4 AAC) 1-0 Wednesday evening.
 
The Lady Bears were forced to play shorthanded with around 30-minute left as a second yellow card issued to Morgan Morreale resulted in her removed from the match. Even still, the team held the Rams no offensive production with zero shots in the time frame to close the game.
 
TMU out shot CIU 19-2 overall with eight shots on goal compared to the home team's one. They also dominated in corner kick opportunities with a margin of 8-1. Both teams were foul heavy in the contest with 29 total fouls, 16 by CIU and 13 by Truett, and six yellow cards were issued as well as a red.
 
Isabella Hodson led the team in total shot attempts with five as two were on target. This was followed closely by Isabelle Allen who powered four total shots.
 
The Lady Bears had the first opportunity with a corner kick at 4:50, but no shots were generated. CIU had the first shot of the game in the 11^th minute, but the ball was blocked by a defender. Grace Montgomery produced the first shot for Truett with a header attempt, but the ball sailed wide of the net, keeping the game scoreless.
 
Hodson's first shot of the game saw the ball fly over the crossbar in the 17^th minute. TMU didn't record another shot until 27:41, a blocked attempt by Allen. The first yellow card of the game came in the 29^th minute against Morreale, setting up a Columbia chance with a shot on goal. Goalkeeper Noa del Rio stepped in for the stop as the game remained tied.
 
Only two shots rounded out the action in the first half, both of which were of target for the away team, leaving the outcome undecided going into the break.
 
The second half started with three TMU shots in the first three minutes, none of which found the back of the net as the teams remained scoreless. In the 56^th minute, Moron drove past the defense and attempted to put the Lady Bears on top. A Ram defender fouled her on the scoring chance, giving her a penalty kick shot. The sophomore drove the ball past the keeper into the bottom right corner of the goal, giving TMU the breakthrough score to go up 1-0. It was her second score of the season, bringing her season point total to six.
 
The Lady Bears faced adversity for the remaining 30 minutes as a second yellow card knocked Morreale out of the game. The away team immediately responded with a shot on goal and a corner kick, keeping the pressure on the Rams. Moron picked up a yellow card at the 64^th minute which was followed up by a CIU yellow just a minute later.
 
With sustained pressure by TMU throughout the rest of the game, the only action on the scoresheet for Columbia International was two more yellow cards in the 70^th and 83^rd minute. The 1-0 lead for the Lady Bears held as the team collected yet another shutout win.
 
Truett is back at home with a Wednesday evening game vs. Reinhardt at 5 p.m. on Oct. 21.