WOOSTER, Ohio - Limited to just four shots on the afternoon, the Allegheny women's soccer team was defeated 1-0 at Wooster.
The loss drops the Gators to 4-11-2 overall, and 2-3-2 in the North Coast Athletic Conference, and officially eliminates the team from postseason contention. Wooster kept its playoff hopes alive, improving to 4-3 in the conference, and 11-5 overall.
The Fighting Scots got on the board early, with Kennedy Payne dribbling through traffic to score in the lower 90 just eight minutes into the first half.
The two defenses then took control, with each team managing just one shot apiece over the final 33 minutes of the half. The Gators' lone chance came in the 29th minute, when
Brianna Layman's attempt was saved by Wooster keeper Carly Eppler. In addition to the scant amount of shots, the two teams also combined for just three corner kicks in the opening 45 minutes, with two coming from Allegheny.
Wooster looked primed to add onto the lead in the opening stages of the second half, out-shooting Allegheny 5-0 in the first 15 minutes. However, Allegheny keeper
Christina Gallagher was up to the test, turning in four saves over the span to keep the margin at one.
The Gators had their best chance for an equalizer with 19 minutes left in regulation, but Eppler saved
Hannah Zangara's header through traffic off of a
Lauren Miller corner kick to preserve the clean sheet.
Wooster put forth one final surge as the game entered the final 10 minutes, as the Fighting Scots put forth four shots and were granted two corner kicks in an 80-second span. The Gator defense held, with Gallagher posting her fifth save of the night before the back line blocked another attempt in close to keep the margin at one.
Allegheny attempted to mount a final push in the closing minutes, generating their final shot off of their fourth corner of the half with five minutes left, but Eppler gobbled it up to thwart the Gators' last chance at an equalizer.
Wooster out-shot Allegheny 12-4 for the game, including a 10-3 margin in the second half. For the second consecutive contest, Gallagher finished with five saves in net for Allegheny, but was saddled with the loss.
The Gators will close out the 2015 campaign on Saturday, Oct. 31, hosting DePauw in a Senior Day showdown at the Robertson Athletic Complex that begins at 11 a.m. Prior to the match, the team's group of five fourth-years will be honored for their careers in the Blue and Gold.
