GREENWOOD, S.C. — A goal from Reagan Hardy in the eighth minute was the difference for Lander University in a 1-0 victory over Tusculum University in non-conference women’s soccer Wednesday night.
Hardy’s goal at 7:50 stood up for the Bearcats (3-1-1), who outshot the Pioneers (2-3-0) by a 12-10 margin. Tusculum outshot Lander 5-2 in the second half, but could not come up with the equalizer against Bearcats keeper Leah Hayes Coen, who made three saves for the shutout.
Tusculum had the first shot in the fifth minute, but a free kick from the Pioneers’ Marja Enste was cradled by Coen from 30 yards away.
Lander got the only goal of the night at 7:50 as Hardy won a free ball at the top of the box and went in one-on-one against Tusculum keeper Holly Cowan, scoring to the left post for a 1-0 lead.
Lander nearly went up 2-0 in the 18th minute as Kylie Wilson headed a corner kick toward the goal, but Tusculum defender Hailey Silvestri headed the ball off the line.
Cowan recorded her first save on a shot from 20 yards by Claire Regnault in the 21st minute, and stopped a long free kick from Rylee King in the 24th minute. Cowan earned her third save in the 39th minute by denying a long-range attempt from the Bearcats’ Nicolly Oh.
Tusculum’s Caroline Heintzelman had the only two shots on goal for either team in the second half, the first on a free kick in the 54th minute and the second from 40 yards away in the 56th minute, but Coen made both stops for Lander.
Cowan had three saves in the first half for the Pioneers with Noemie Tartrou playing the second half without facing a shot on goal.
Lander had a 3-1 edge in corner kicks over Tusculum, while the Bearcats were called for eight fouls to four for the Pioneers.
Tusculum will begin its South Atlantic Conference schedule on Saturday, Sept. 20 at 3:30 p.m. at Newberry. The Wolves moved to 4-0-1 overall with a 3-0 win over Southern Wesleyan on Wednesday.
