JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (Aug. 17, 2023) –?After months of intense conditioning and weeks of training together as a team, ETSU women's soccer will need to wait a little longer for their first taste of goal in 2023. ETSU played to a 0-0 draw with Kennesaw State Thursday night in its season opener at Summers-Taylor Stadium.
The Bucs peppered the Owls with 12 shots, including 9 after halftime, but never found the breakthrough they hunted for all night. Their best chance came in the 51st minute, when Natalie Capanelli (Ontario, Canada) struck the crossbar from 30 yards out, only to have the ball bounce off the line and back out.
Both teams needed time to find a rhythm after the opening whistle, but the Bucs were better on the attack early as their press harried the Owls' back line and midfield. Sinoxolo Cesane (Capetown, South Africa) had the Bucs' first good chance flagged for offside in the 16th minute sliding in toward a promising ball from Grace Eatz (Roswell, Ga.). Taylor Limprevil (Spring Hill, Tenn.) got on the end of a ball on the end line in the 22nd minute only to have her shot turned away by Owls' goalkeeper, Allanah Blye.
Aliya Cooper (Chattanooga, Tenn.) had a chance in the 42nd minute off a strong effort by freshman Reagan Fitzgerald (Oviedo, Fla.), but saw the ball slip just out of her reach before she could get a shot away.
In the second half, the Bucs poured on the pressure early. Ava Matherne (Gulf Breeze, Fla.) had a shot from six yards out blocked by a last-ditch effort from the Owls' defense. Capanelli struck the crossbar, then Kinsten Evans (Nolensville, Tenn.) drove a free kick hard to the goalkeeper's left just shy of the hour mark, but Blye was up to the challenge once again.
Matherne led the Bucs with three shots on goal in her college debut, while Cesane had three shots with one on goal. Fitzgerald notched two shots off the bench in her debut, and redshirt freshman Ruby Teixeira (Nashville, Tenn.) registered one shot in 72 minutes.
KSU mustered four shots, with two shots on goal. Ashton Blair (Knoxville, Tenn.) was credited with two saves in her fourth career shutout. The backline in front of Blair showed well, as center backs Sydney Somogyi (Germantown, Tenn.) and Madi Hook (Fareham, England) each played all 90 minutes, while Limprevil played 84 minutes at fullback.
The Bucs sit 0-0-1 following Thursday's match.
The Bucs return to action Sunday at 2:00 p.m. against Davidson at Summers-Taylor Stadium.
For more information on Buccaneer women's soccer, visit ETSUBucs.com and click on the women's soccer tab.
