Tusculum College Women's soccer head coach Mike Joy became the
sixth coach in NCAA Division II history to reach 300 career wins as
the Pioneers defeated Mars Hill University 4-0 in South Atlantic
Conference action Saturday night.
Joy is the 30th coach to reach 300 career wins at all levels of the
NCAA, joining Jeff Bailey of Franklin Pierce who reached the
milestone earlier Saturday against Southern Connecticut State. In
22 seasons of coaching, including the last 17 at Tusculum after
five years at Midway College in Kentucky, Joy has a record of
300-122-31 for a winning percentage of .696.
Four different players scored for the Pioneers (2-3-2 overall,
1-0-1 SAC), who built a 4-0 lead at halftime and cruised to the
victory over the Lions (0-4-1, 0-2-0 SAC). Amy Neltner, Olivia
Kilgore, Nikki Arthur and Taylor Lewis recorded the goals in a span
of just under 29 minutes for Tusculum in the match.
The Pioneers jumped to a 1-0 lead at the 14:09 mark when Neltner
headed home a cross from Monica Perez for her second goal of the
season. Just over 12 minutes later, Kilgore scored her first career
goal on a loose ball in the box to extend the Tusculum advantage to
2-0.
Arthur converted from 25 yards out off an assist from Alisha Pugh
to give the Pioneers a 3-0 edge at 37:09, and Lewis closed out the
scoring at 43:01 with her first of the season to send Tusculum to
intermission with a 4-0 lead.
Tusculum finished the match with a 15-10 advantage in shots over
Mars Hill and a 3-0 edge in corner kicks to snap a winless streak
of four matches (three losses, one tie). The four goals more than
doubled the team's total of three goals through its first six
contests.
Junior goalkeeper Marissa Williams made four saves for her third
shutout of the season and the 17th of her career, moving her into a
tie for second on the Tusculum career list with Whitney Wardrop
(2005-06) and leaving her three shy of the school record of 20
career shutouts held by Jennie Murphy (1999-02). Tori Stajduhar had
four saves for the Lions.
The Pioneers will be back home Wednesday night at 7 p.m. against
Lees-McRae in a non-conference match at Pioneer Field.
