For one half of soccer, it appeared to be a total stalemate for ETSU and Stetson. Defensive players for both squads ruled supreme, and both goalkeepers were perfect for 45 tense minutes.
The tables turned for an offensive-minded second half, with the Buccaneers eventually wrapping up an exciting 2-1 victory over the Hatters on a beautiful Sunday afternoon at the Liberty Bell Soccer Complex.
The triumph over Stetson brings the Buccaneers (5-6, 2-2 A-Sun) their second straight conference win of the week after Thursday’s 5-3 win over Mercer.
“This weekend was huge for us,” senior Erin Ashton said. “We broke even in conference play, and we need to get more wins against those teams to get into the tournament.”
Before the explosion of shots commenced in the second half, the ETSU defense made one especially notable stop on a Stetson foul shot close to the goal.
Standing no more than 10 feet away from the ball, four players formed a wall and deflected a bullet of a shot, sending it out of bounds for an ETSU goal kick. According to Buccaneer freshman goalie Erin Bilyeu, it was one of many crucial stops for the defense.
“Through the first half, they played really awesome, rolling the ball to me the way I like it,” Bilyeu said. “In the second half, we got a little more anxious because of the [Stetson] goal. After that, we all calmed down a little, and I have no complaints with the defense when we win.”
After receiving a perfectly delivered corner kick, senior midfielder Lauren Kulish tapped in her first goal of the season to give the Buccaneers the lead. Ashton grabbed her sixth assist on the play, which occurred 11 minutes into the second half.
Twelve minutes after that first ETSU goal, Stetson’s Sarah Stock executed a center pass to forward Jessica Spencer, who tied the score at one.
As the Hatters celebrated, the Buccaneers were plotting their next attack on offense. Less than two minutes after the tying goal, Ashton netted her team-leading seventh score off a corner kick. This gave the Buccaneers the lead, and the goal turned out to be Ashton’s second game-winner of the year.
“After Stetson scored, it gave us a lot of motivation to get another one,” Ashton said. “We felt more secure to have the lead, and it took the pressure off to hold it for the rest of the game.”
Following a foul committed by ETSU, Stetson’s Kelly Kuenning had a huge opportunity to tie it again with a penalty kick. After she unleashed a hard line-drive shot, Bilyeu dove to her right to make an unbelievable stop that ultimately saved the game for the Buccaneers.
“I was really nervous, and I had to calm myself down,” Bilyeu said. “They had all the time in the world to set up, and I tried to read what she was thinking. Penalty kicks are 99 percent scores, so it felt good. The PK set the tone for the last couple of minutes.”
ETSU head coach Heather Henson was proud Bilyeu’s efforts. “It was huge for a freshman to step up in a clutch situation,” Henson said. “She’s getting a lot more confident in her position, playing the ball with her feet more, and becoming more vocal. All these things are leading to more saves.”
For ETSU to qualify for the postseason conference tournament held at the beginning of November, they must finish within the top six Atlantic Sun teams. The Buccaneers go on the road against two conference opponents this week, playing Lipscomb and Belmont.

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