(CLEVELAND, Ga.)- The No. 1 Truett McConnell University women’s soccer team hosted Appalachian Athletic Conference opponent No. 2 Reinhardt University, where the Lady Bears secured the 2022 AAC Tournament Championship with a 1-0 victory over the Eagles. TMU finishes conference play with a perfect record of 17-2-1, 16-0 AAC, along with being named the AAC Regular Season and Tournament Champions.
Most notable, Eliska Dvorakova, the AAC Offensive Player of the Year, was name the AAC Tournament MVP, while Sydney League, Moriah Logue and Lyndsey Darden were named to the AAC All-Tournament team.
“This is a special group of girls. They are massively talented, excellent teammates and full of strong character,” said Head Coach David McDowell. “Plus, they are just a lot of fun to be around!”
TMU was last featured recording the double in 2018, with the 2022 seniors a part of the 2018 freshman class. The Lady Bears have stumbled against the Eagles in the last two years of conference play, but were capable of turning the page this season with great performances in both match-ups (TMU 1-RU 0 (10/19/22), TMU 1-RU 0 (11/12/22)) to be crowned the undisputed champions.
“As coaches we have been spoiled because they have embraced what our program is about and bought into the culture from day one. Today was a culmination of all their hard work and amazing attitudes over the whole season. They were excellent today and put in a performance that was championship worthy, and they are not done yet! We’re already looking forward to going to nationals next week. I’m so very proud of them!”
PLAY BY PLAY
The Lady Bears dominated from the start, with a shot by Brianna Hernandez in the third minute of play, followed by a blocked and wide shot by Moriah Logue. Four consecutive shots on goal proved TMU a force to be reckoned with, along with earning five corner kicks. The Lady Bears continued to outshoot the Eagles 10-1 in the first half, but a stellar performance by the Eagles keeper forced the score to remain 0-0 at halftime.
TMU did not let up as they entered the second half, forcing the Eagles defense to work under pressure with six earned corner kicks and nine shots. In the 61st minute, a picture-perfect header from Ella Weir, off a kick from the corner by Jette Schulz, found the back of the net to give the Lady Bears the winning advantage (1-0). TMU did not slow down, capable of taking four more shots to add pressure to the visiting team. The Lady Bears band together on offense and defense to keep the Eagles at bay, ultimately securing the championship win with a final score of 1-0.
LEADERS
Weir led the way for the Lady Bears with one game winning goal, followed by Schulz who recorded a single assist. Dvorakova recorded a total of six shots, five on goal, while League tallied three shots, two on goal.
UP NEXT
The Lady Bears will travel to compete in the NAIA National Championships on November 17-19. The NAIA selection show will occur on Monday, November 14 at 10:00 a.m. CST. Time and Location TBD.
