The St. Mary’s College of Maryland women’s soccer team fell 2-0 to Lynchburg on Sunday afternoon at Sea Gull Soccer Stadium, dropping the Seahawks to 1-2-3 on the season.
How It Happened
Lynchburg broke through early, taking a 1-0 lead at 14:14 when Leigha Gronau scored her second goal of the season off an assist from Ally Hopkins. St. Mary’s kept the deficit at one goal for the remainder of the first half despite heavy pressure, thanks largely to goalkeeper Breanna Brown, who made six saves before the break. The Hornets extended the lead in the second half, going up 2-0 at 51:30 when Makayla Hargrove — also her second goal of the year — finished off a play assisted by both Hopkins and Gronau. Brown made five more saves after halftime to keep the final margin at two.
Inside the Box Score
Lynchburg dominated the shot chart, out-shooting St. Mary’s 24-1 overall and 13-1 in shots on goal. The Hornets also held an 11-4 edge in corner kicks, while both sides were whistled for seven fouls apiece and Lynchburg was flagged offside twice to none for the Seahawks.
St. Mary’s College
Brown finished with 11 saves on 13 shots on goal, splitting her work evenly across both halves. Sophomore forward Oliviah Walton, a political science major, recorded the Seahawks’ only shot of the game and put it on frame in the 43rd minute — St. Mary’s lone shot on goal of the afternoon.
Lynchburg
Gronau and Hargrove each scored once, with Hopkins picking up assists on both goals and Gronau adding a second assist of her own on Hargrove’s tally. The Hornets’ 24-shot output overwhelmed the Seahawks’ defense for most of the match.
Up Next for the Seahawks
St. Mary’s returns home Wednesday, Sept. 16, hosting Mary Washington at 5 p.m.
The loss follows a scoreless draw against McDaniel to close out the Seahawk Classic, in which Brown also anchored the defense with eight saves — the second straight match in which her goalkeeping has kept St. Mary’s competitive against a heavy shot disadvantage.
