ELKINS, W.Va. — The 16th ranked Fairmont State women's soccer team (4-0-0, 2-0-0) defeated Davis & Elkins (1-2-1, 0-2-0) 2-1 on Wednesday in Mountain East Conference play. The Falcons scored twice in the second half after the Senators took a 1-0 lead into halftime. The teams each finished with 11 shots and six shots on goal, and the Falcons made five saves while holding the Senators scoreless after the break.
The Falcons kept the match scoreless deep into the first half before the Senators converted a Rafaela Leão penalty kick at 37:54, leaving the Falcons down 1-0 at halftime. Earlier in the half, the Falcons generated the first sustained push, with
Arrington Sparks taking a shot at 6:35 before the Falcons earned back-to-back corner kicks at 6:54 and 7:09.
The Falcons continued to create looks with a 19:42 corner, a
Serenity Thomas shot at 20:11 and another Sparks attempt at 24:37.
Olivia Johnston made three saves in the half, including stops on Sophia Brown shots during a late Senators stretch, but the Senators' penalty accounted for the only goal before the break.
A 1-0 deficit became a 2-1 Falcons win in the second half, with
Sam Yuen equalizing at 50:14 and
Dayra Dinarte putting the Falcons in front at 66:42. Earlier in the second half, Johnston kept the Senators from adding to their lead with a save on Maya Rayman in the 55th minute, and the Falcons followed with pressure that included saved shots by Yuen, Dinarte and
Addison Castaneda in a 16-second span.
After Dinarte's goal,
Colletta Hardman forced another save in the 72nd minute, while Johnston added a stop on Sophia Brown in the 82nd as the Senators looked for a response. The closing stretch included fouls and cards for both sides, but the Falcons held the 2-1 score for the win.
Dinarte scored the game-winning goal and put both of her shots on frame. Yuen also scored, finishing with two shots, both on goal. Johnston played all 90 minutes in goal and recorded five saves.
Fairmont State returns to Duvall-Rosier Field on Sunday, September 13 to face Frostburg State University for Youth Day. First kick is slated for 1:00 p.m. and after the match, fans can enjoy a postgame autograph session with the team.
