Three-goal second half powers Women’s Soccer to AAC win at CIU

COLUMBIA, S.C. (September 16, 2023) – The Milligan University women's soccer team scored three second half goals to power the Buffs to their first Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) victory of the season at Columbia International on Saturday evening.

The Buffs won the game 3-1 to move to 2-3-1 on the season and 1-1 in AAC play. CIU fell to 3-2-1 and 2-1-1 in league action.

CIU outshot the Buffs 4-1 in the first half and took a 1-0 lead in 19th minute. The Rams inserted a corner kick from the right side and scored the game's first goal off a header at the far post.

Taylor Dawson provided the equalizer for the Buffs in the 64th minute off a free kick. She lined up dead-center a few yard beyond the 18-yard back. She fired a shot around a four-player wall and it spun off the CIU keeper into the right corner of the goal to tie the game at one.

The Buffs took a 2-1 lead in the 72nd minute with a counterattack goal. Stella Van Beusichem intercepted a CIU pass near midfield, played the ball forward to Natalie Roper, who forwarded a lead pass to Angeleena Waaland, who ran onto the ball behind the Rams' back line, took a touch in the penalty area and slotted a shot into the lower right corner past the charging goalkeeper.

Waaland secured the conference win with another tally in the 87th minute. Pushing up the right side with the ball, Waaland struck a long-range shot from beyond the 18-yard box that looped past the outstretched arms of the CIU goalie into the top left corner of the goal. Milligan held on for 3-1 AAC victory.

Despite CIU owning a 7-5 edge in shots and an 8-2 advantage in corner kicks, Milligan had four shots on goal compared to two for CIU.

The Buffs return to Anglin Field to take on Bryan on Wednesday evening at 5:00 p.m.