Despite a hard-fought effort, **Georgia Southern** women’s soccer came up just short in a 1-0 loss to Old Dominion on Thursday afternoon at the ODU Soccer Complex. The early strike from the Monarchs proved to be the difference, as the Eagles were unable to find the back of the net in a tight Sun Belt Conference showdown.
With the win, Old Dominion improved to 8-4-1 overall and 3-1-1 in conference play, while Georgia Southern dropped to 5-8-1 and 2-3 in Sun Belt competition.
The game’s only goal came in the 14th minute when Rhea Kijowski of Old Dominion broke through on a counterattack. After an Eagles push forward, a pass from Andrea Balcazar Algarin found Kijowski streaking toward the box. Despite being forced into a tight angle by Eagles’ goalkeeper Quinn Wilson, Kijowski managed to find the back of the net, giving the Monarchs the 1-0 lead.
Georgia Southern had their chances to equalize, especially in the 56th minute when Ansleigh Crenshaw appeared to poke in a loose ball after a scramble following a corner kick. However, the goal was waved off by the referee, who ruled the ball had been in the goalkeeper’s possession.
Old Dominion outshot Georgia Southern 11-, with Wilson making four saves to keep the Eagles within striking distance. Emily Bredek of ODU tallied three saves to preserve the clean sheet for the Monarchs.
The Eagles return to action on Sunday when they host James Madison in another Sun Belt contest at 1 p.m. at Bo Pitts Field. Georgia Southern will be looking to bounce back and earn some key points at home.
For the latest updates on Georgia Southern women’s soccer, be sure to follow the team on social media and support them as they continue their push in the Sun Belt Conference!
