WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a tightly contested, evenly played match, the Howard Bison got a 28th minute goal to take an early lead and added insurance on a penalty kick late to defeat the VMI Keydets, 2-0, in non-conference women's soccer action Monday in Washington, D.C.
With the teams locked in a defensive struggle and shots at a premium, Howard's Kelsi Bobbitt won a ball in front of the VMI net in the 28th minute. She promptly put a shot past
Emily Marbury for the game's first, and eventual game-winning, goal, while the Bison would add a penalty kick late in the second half to account for the final margin, 2-0.
The match was the most evenly played of VMI's (0-3) three games thus far, with the teams matching each other in shots at nine apiece. Howard (1-1-1) held the 4-3 edge in corner kicks and the all-important 2-1 edge in saves, as there were only five shots on goal on the sunny, 86-degree day.
Marbury made her first career start in goal for VMI, but unlike in past matches, it was the Keydets who had the early offense threat. Header shots by
Emily Adams in both the 8th and 9th minutes were wide, however, and those would be the only Keydet shots of the opening half. Howard misfired on a 15th minute shot before, in the 27th minute, Bobbitt put the home team up, 1-0. Only one other shot was taken in the first half, as HU nursed the lead into a halftime break that had seen just five total shots taken and no corner kicks attempted.
The second half saw the offense pick up slightly.
Liz Nickerson entered the game and made a 52nd minute save, keeping the margin at 1-0, but two VMI shots just moments later went wide, as did an
Allie Segura try off a corner kick in the 63rd minute. The Keydets tested HU keeper Kyra Dickinson in the 74th minute, but a
Nicole Blixt header was saved.
The Bison added the match's final goal in the 77th minute. Nia Walcott took a corner kick, but with the ball in the air, a VMI player committed a foul in the box. That led to a penalty kick, which Treschelle Gibson-Serrette converted to make it 2-0. The Keydets did put another shot on goal late, but Dickinson stopped Emma Manis to preserve the shutout.
In goal, Dickinson was credited with two saves, while Nickerson stopped one shot for VMI in the defensive-minded affair.
VMI women's soccer is back in action Friday, opening the team's home schedule in Lexington against South Carolina State. Game time is set for 2 p.m.
