Women’s Soccer started their season off with a shutout victory at Summers-Taylor Stadium on Thursday.
The Bucs were originally scheduled to begin their season on the road at No. 23 Ole Miss, however, inclement weather caused the cancellation of the matchup just before kickoff and pushed the season-opener back for the Bucs matchup against Presbyterian.
The Bucs stepped onto the pitch hoping to improve from the spring season record of (1-6-1). Head coach Jay Yelton, now in his second year, has all 20 players returning from the spring and eight new players joining the roster.
Facing a Presbyterian squad coming off a (5-4) record from the spring, the Bucs knew that scoring in regular time was important in beating the Presbyterian team that has not ended in a draw since 2015, the Bucs attacked early and found the lone score early in the matchup.
Maegan Sours (Erie, Colo.) found Katie Philips (Tega Cay, S.C.) for the Bucs to take the 1-0 lead at 4:49 in the game and the Bucs never relinquished the lead.
The Bucs showed up on both sides of the ball in the opener. Offensively and defensively, Presbyterian had their hands full with the energy that the Bucs brought to the pitch.
A strong defensive showing by the Bucs allowed only two shots for Presbyterian. The Bucs goalkeeper Shu Ohba (Fujisawa, Japan), in her debut, saved the only shot-on-goal from the Blue Hose.
The Bucs attempted 23 shots with 13 of that on-goal. These numbers are very promising for a squad that struggled last season to find opportunities on the offensive side.
The Bucs look to carry this momentum with them on the road as they have a four-game away stretch before returning back home to Summers-Taylor stadium on Sep. 17 when the Bucs face Tennessee Tech.
