NEWBERRY, S.C. --- Goals in each half lifted Newberry College to a 2-0 victory over Tusculum University in South Atlantic Conference women's soccer action Saturday afternoon at the Smith Road Complex.
Jacqueline Aldrete scored in the 14th minute and Emma Harms in the 88th minute for the Wolves (3-2-2, 1-2-0 SAC), who were outshot 22-18 by the Pioneers but received 11 saves from goalkeeper Jayleen Gant to post the shutout win over the Pioneers (3-5-0, 0-2-0 SAC).
Tusculum peppered seven shots at the Newberry goal over a 7 1/2 minute stretch early in the first half, with Gant making saves on Kaitlyn Watson in the 6th minute, back-to-back saves on Chelsea Sheerin and Ellie Tomassoni in the 7th minute, and another save on Sheerin in the 8th minute. In the 13th minute, Kenzie Ellenburg put a shot off the post followed by a chance from Brianna Garcia that was also saved by Gant.
Shortly after Gant's fifth save, the Wolves went up 1-0 at 13:37 as a long pass from Daphne Heyaime went to Aldrete at the top of the box, and she curled a shot over Tusculum keeper Danielle Breen for her second goal of the season.
Tusculum continued to have scoring chances throughout the first half, with Gant making saves on Brooke Radcliffe in the 26th minute and Ellenburg in the 28th minute. Another shot by Radcliffe off a corner kick was cleared off the line by the Newberry defense in the 30th minute, followed three minutes later by a blast from Elise Gallo that caromed off the crossbar.
In the second half, both teams had just 10 on the field due to a pair of red cards handed out in the final minute of the first half. Gant recorded saves on a header by Radcliffe in the 49th minute, a shot from Chayse Stonebraker in the 51st minute and another shot by Radcliffe in the 53rd minute. At the other end, Tusculum freshman keeper T.T. Addison made her first career save on a shot by Monica Jimenez in the 54th minute.
Jamila Thombs had a pair of scoring opportunities midway through the half, with Gant making a save in the 65th minute and a second shot off the post in the 68th minute. Addison kept the margin at 1-0 by making saves on Newberry's Heyaime and Taylor Hiatt in succession in the 74th minute, with another chance by Heyaime sailing wide of the frame. The Wolves' defense bailed out Gant again in the 80th minute as Ellenburg's shot off a Watson corner was cleared off the line to retain Newberry's 1-0 lead with 10:47 left.
With Tusculum trying to find the equalizer, it was Newberry that delivered insurance with 2:06 left as a pass from Briley Stokes went to Harms, whose long shot beat Addison to give the Wolves a 2-0 lead. Heyaime nearly tacked on a second goal in the final 90 seconds, but her shot rang off the crossbar.
Addison finished with five saves for the Pioneers after playing 76 1/2 minutes in goal. Newberry outshot Tusculum 13-10 in the second half, while the Pioneers finished the afternoon with a 6-4 edge in corner kicks.
Tusculum will play the last of its nine straight road matches to start the season on Wednesday afternoon when the Pioneers visit Queens for a 5 p.m. SAC match with the Royals.