Box Score FRANKLIN, Ind. – The Franklin College women's soccer team closed out the regular season on Saturday (Oct. 27) afternoon, dropping a 4-1 contest to Mount St. Joseph University at Faught Stadium in Franklin.
Freshman Samantha Stone potted her second career goal late in the first half and Lexi Short turned aside a career-high 13 shots on the afternoon. But the Grizzlies (8-9-1, 5-4 HCAC) fell victim to three second half goals from the Lions (13-2-3, 7-1-1 HCAC) in defeat.
The two teams played an evenly-matched contest in the opening half with both attacking sides generating quality scoring chances in the opening 30 minutes. The Lions opened the scoring in the 34th minute on a Kaylan Gruber goal, but Franklin got the equalizer with 38 seconds left to go in the half when Stone gathered in a loose ball in the box and fired a shot just inside the left post to make it a 1-1 contest.
But the Grizzlies couldn't capitalize on the momentum from Stone's goal as the Lions swarmed the Franklin defense to start the second half, capitalizing for goals just 1:43 apart to take a 3-1 lead in the 54th minute. Short kept the deficit at a pair with some brilliant goalkeeping in the second half but the Grizzly offense couldn't cut into the deficit before the Lions added an insurance marker in the 81st minute.
Shots on the afternoon were 26-12 in favor of the Lions with Maddie Fleet's five shot attempts topping all Grizzlies.
Saturday's match was the final in the careers of Fleet, Rachel Hawkins, Sydney Secrest, Olivia Fisher and Emma Myers, who were all recognized before the game during the senior day festivities. The five were members of a program that accounted for 54 wins, three HCAC regular season crowns and the program's first HCAC Tournament championship and NCAA Tournament appearance in 2017.
