WASHINGTON, Pa. -- An unassisted goal by
Kayla Daugherty (Prospect, Pa./Slippery Rock) in the 39th minute and eight saves by junior goalkeeper
Gabriella Lloyd (Butler, Pa./Butler) helped lift the Washington & Jefferson women's soccer team to a 1-0 victory over Grove City in the Presidents' Athletic Conference opener for both teams Wednesday evening at Alexandre Stadium.
The victory allowed the Presidents to snap a seven-match losing streak in the head-to-head series with the Wolverines. This marked W&J's first win over Grove City since Oct. 6, 2016.
Grove City held advantages in shots (22-7), shots on goal (8-3) and corner kicks (6-0) but W&J did what they needed to do to earn the hard fought victory.
Lloyd registered four first half saves, as she stopped chances by Tirzah Lloyd, Melia Lamie and Britta Lagerquist over the first 35 minutes of game action. Additionally, Tirzah Lloyd hit the post hit the cross bar in the 31st minute. Daugherty recorded the lone goal of the match in the 39th minute of play when the sophomore used her left foot to blast the ball into the upper left corner of the net from 35 yards out.
The Wolverines came out firing early in the second half, as they looked to even the score. However, Lloyd denied Jacqui Netschert and Lagerquist over the first six-plus minutes to preserve the one-goal lead. Lloyd added two additional second half saves during the 1-0 victory.
Lloyd, the reigning PAC Defensive Player/Goalkeeper of the Week, extended her scoreless streak to 323 consecutive minutes. Lloyd was backed with strong defensive efforts from defenders
McKenna Lewis (Hershey, Pa./Hershey),
Courtney Crivelli (Beaver, Pa./Beaver),
Courtney Actis (Bechtelsville, Pa./Boyertown Area) and Daugherty as well as midfielders
Katie Brown (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley) and
Makenna Mann (Herndon, Va./South Lakes).
W&J (1-0 PAC, 4-5-1 overall) hosts Westminster College for a league match on Saturday, Oct. 2. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.
