Women’s Soccer Handled By Batten
Motto sets career standard for saves in a match despite defeat
from Bryce Johnson, Director of Athletic Communications
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – Madison Motto (Waxhaw, N.C.) made a career-high 17 saves, but unfortunately it was not enough as the Guilford College women’s soccer team (1-5-2, 0-3-0 ODAC) suffered a shutout defeat to Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) rival, Batten University (7-0-2, 3-0-0 ODAC) at Foster Field at the Tassos Paphiis Soccer Complex on Saturday morning.
The lack of offensive pressure continued to harm GC who was held without a shot for the second time this season, and to one-or-fewer tries at the net for the fourth time in six games. The Marlins, meanwhile, fired at will, attempting 37 shots with 20 landing on frame. The hosts also received all-nine corner kicks in the match.
Motto dropped to 1-4-2 in goal for the Quakers, racking up the most saves by a GC keeper since Ady Franken ’23, MBA ’24 made 22 stops, also against Batten, or Virginia Wesleyan University as they were known at the time. Despite that, the three tallies configured on 37 total shots faced, were more than enough on this day. The trio of Allie Greco, Riley Keefe, and Elena Shultz shared the shutout for the Marlins, going untested all day. Greco began the clean sheet as the starter to get credit for the win, improving to 6-0-2.
While Guilford did not get a shot, the hosts featured a trio of goal scorers as Autumn Horst netted the game-winner before Courtney Mills and Eleanor Wilson added tallies later, all of them unassisted.
The matches’ opening tally would come in the 12th minute as Batten sustained an attack deep in Quakers territory. Kaylyn Seitz ripped a shot, but it banged off the post and ricocheted out to Elena Graves (Browns Summit, N.C.). Unfortunately, the freshman’s clear try went straight to Horst at the top of the 6′ off the right post, and she picked it off before slipping it inside the strong side post for her first goal of the year.
Later in the frame, in the 24th minute, the Marlins got in deep on a counter-attack down the sideline before sending a cross into the box. Sarah Bain (Haymarket, Va.) knocked the feed down, but as she attempted to clear the zone, she was outmaneuvered by Mills who fired into the bottom-left for her third score of the fall, opening it to a 2-0 advantage at the half.
Once again constant pressure paid off in the 49th minute for Batten, as they maintained an attack despite multiple clearance tries, eventually chipping one into the box. Kylee Berry (Kernersville, N.C.) made a play, heading the feed away, although it stayed in the center of the pitch and found the feet of Wilson essentially at the PK stripe, going bottom-left for the finalizing goal, icing the score at 3-0.
The Quakers hope some home cooking can light a spark, as they return to Appenzeller Field on Wednesday, October 7 for a 6:00 PM contest against Hollins.
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