For the second straight game this week, the Lenoir-Rhyne Women’s Soccer team scored three goals and held their opponents scoreless as the Bears opened SAC play with a 3-0 win over Tusculum on a rainy evening inside Moretz Sports Athletic Campus. The Bears had to wait almost two hours after the scheduled kick-off but LR was rewarded with goals from Elin Hansson, Evan O’Leary and Skylar Noll to move to 1-0 in the South Atlantic Conference.

The Bears scored two goals in the final five minutes of the first half as Hansson got the Bears on the board first. Ria Acton delivered a free kick right to Hansson in front of the goal as the sophomore tapped it in to the lower right corner for the first goal of the game.

With less than a minute left before the half, O’Leary delivered a strike from outside the box just inside the crossbar to give the Bears a 2-0 lead at the half. Once again, the Bears stuck in the final minute as Skylar Noll took a cross from Kara Gavaghan for her first collegiate goal with just :36 seconds left in the match.

LR dominated possession as LR outshot the Pioneers 23-2 on the evening as Tusculum goalkeeper Grayson Patterson made 10 saves in the game while Kristin Oliver stopped the only shot she saw for the Bears.

LR also had a season-high 13 corner kicks opportunities

The Bears have won seven straight games against the Pioneers. Acton has scored a point in all four career games against Tusculum.
O’Leary now has two career goals against Tusculum. The Bears are 4-0-1 in their last five SAC openers.

This was the third straight shutout for the Bears.

The game was delayed 95 minutes due to inclement weather from earlier in the evening.

The Bears are 2-0-2 overall, 1-o in the South Atlantic Conference. LR will start a three game road trip with a matchup against Florida Tech on Wednesday evening. Kick-off is schedule for 6:00 PM.