HICKORY, N.C. --- Two goals in the final six minutes enabled Tusculum to escape with a 2-1 victory over Lenoir-Rhyne in South Atlantic Conference women's soccer action Saturday afternoon.
Jordan Newby scored the tying goal with 5:30 left and Sonja Ballmert converted the match-winner with 2:33 to go as the Pioneers (4-1-0, 2-0-0 SAC) earned the 300th victory in program history with their first win on the road over the Bears (3-2-0, 0-1-0 SAC) in 10 years.
Lenoir-Rhyne, which shared the SAC championship with Tusculum and Carson-Newman last season, outshot the Pioneers 23-9 in the match but could get just one shot past Tusculum keeper Hannah Graham, who finished with a season-high eight saves.
The Bears needed less than two minutes to take their first shot of the match, and took the first eight shot attempts over the first 26 minutes. Graham came up with three saves during the opening flurry, making stops on Christina Shimshock at the 10th minute, Abigael McGarel in the 16th minute and Sarah Pullman in the 26th minute.
Tusculum's first shot came in the 28th minute off the foot of Payton DeHart, and the Pioneers' first on frame came from Newby in the 33rd minute that was handled by Bears keeper Alayna Morris. Lenoir-Rhyne finished the first half with a 10-2 edge in shots but no goals on the scoreboard for either team.
The Bears continued to control the play in the first 10 minutes of the second half, taking four shot attempts before Pullman converted on a rebound off a shot by Hannah Van Eerden for her second goal of the season at 55:56.
Graham kept the Pioneers in the match by making saves on Taylor Rios in the 63rd minute, Van Eerden in the 64th minute, Rachel Fischer on a header in the 67th minute and Rios again in the 82nd minute.
Tusculum recorded its second shot on goal in the 62nd minute, as Morris denied an attempt by the Pioneers' Rachel Roberts. Elise Gallo put a shot on goal in the 83rd minute but could not solve Morris, as the Bears continued to hold on to their 1-0 lead.
The Pioneers received a free kick with just under six minutes to go, and Newby headed home the delivery from Ballmert for the equalizer with 5:30 left.
Energized by the goal, the Pioneers took two shots in quick succession and then were awarded a pair of corner kicks. The second corner was lobbed into the box by McMillen and headed home by Ballmert for her second goal in as many matches and a 2-1 Tusculum lead with 2:33 left.
The Bears would receive a corner kick with 1:17 remaining, but an offsides call with just under a minute to play enabled the Pioneers to run out the clock and snap a five-match losing streak to the Bears in Hickory since a 4-1 win on Oct. 27, 2007.
In addition to its 23-9 edge in shots, Lenoir-Rhyne had a 6-3 advantage in corner kicks while being whistled for 10 fouls to four by the Pioneers. Tusculum was flagged three times for offsides, to twice by Lenoir-Rhyne.
The Pioneers won their first match as a program in 1990, and have reached double figures in wins 20 times in their first 27 seasons. Head coach Mike Joy has earned 255 of the victories, and is the SAC all-time leader in coaching wins both overall and in league matches.
Tusculum will be on the road Wednesday, Sept. 20 at Queens University of Charlotte, with kickoff scheduled for 5 p.m.
