MARS HILL, N.C. --- Three goals in the second half enabled Tusculum to defeat Mars Hill 3-0 in South Atlantic Conference women's soccer action Friday evening at Meares Stadium.
Brooke Radcliffe scored the tiebreaking goal early in the second half, and corner kicks from Nicole McMillen set up a pair of insurance tallies for the Pioneers (9-3-0, 6-1-0 SAC), who recorded their third consecutive shutout victory. Tusculum outshot Mars Hill (2-9-1, 1-6-0 SAC) by a 16-5 margin including 9-2 in the decisive second half.
Tusculum keeper Hannah Graham finished with three saves and has not allowed a goal in her last 310 minutes, 27 seconds of playing time spanning the last four matches. Graham recorded her sixth shutout of the season and lowered her season goals against average to 0.82 with the victory.
The Pioneers had the first two shot attempts of the match, in the fourth and seventh minutes, and put their first shot on Lion keeper Kaitlyn Danglemaier off the foot of Cheyenne Upton in the 18th minute. Sonja Ballmert followed up with a shot on goal in the 20th minute, while Graham made her only save of the half on an attempt from Mars Hill's Aleonya Hunter in the 36th minute.
The scoreless tie lasted just over three minutes into the second half, when Radcliffe collected a pass from Payton DeHart and looped a shot over Danglemaier's head for her third goal of the season and a 1-0 Tusculum lead at 48:22.
Jordan Newby had a pair of shots in the opening 10 minutes of the half while Upton added another in the 58th minute. Graham registered her second save of the match on a shot attempt by Breona Tate in the 65th minute, keeping the advantage at 1-0.
The Pioneers received a corner kick in the 67th minute, and for the second straight match it was McMillen with a delivery into the box that was headed into the goal. Carly Mill came through with her second goal of the season and second in as many matches at 66:20 to extend the Tusculum lead to 2-0.
McMillen delivered off a corner again in the 79th minute as she found the head of Ballmert for her fourth goal of the season and a 3-0 Tusculum lead with 11:16 remaining.
Tusculum nearly added a fourth goal with just over eight minutes remaining, but a shot from the Pioneers' Jenna Rockwell caromed off the crossbar. Meanwhile, the Tusculum defense did not allow a shot attempt over the final 25 1/2 minutes to preserve Graham's clean sheet.
The Pioneers finished with a 6-2 edge in corner kicks over the Lions, while Mars Hill was called for 12 fouls to nine for Tusculum. Danglemaier finished with seven saves for the Lions, making three in the first half and four more after intermission.
Tusculum will begin preparation for a showdown with Carson-Newman on Wednesday at 5 p.m. at Pioneer Field. The Eagles are ranked seventh in the United Soccer Coaches Division II poll and are unbeaten at 10-0-1. Carson-Newman holds first place in the SAC at 6-0-1 heading into Saturday's home showdown with 25th-ranked Wingate, which is 6-0 in the league and 7-1 overall.
