GAFFNEY, S.C. --- Millie Shaw scored a pair of goals, including the tiebreaker early in the second half, as 19th-ranked Limestone edged Tusculum 2-1 in non-conference women's soccer action Monday night.
Shaw scored in the 20th and 50th minutes for the Saints (9-1), who earned their ninth consecutive victory. Brooke Radcliffe scored the lone goal for the Pioneers (6-3), who entered the match having won five of their previous six contests.
The first two shots on goal came from the Pioneers' Payton DeHart in a span of 48 seconds, but each attempt was stopped by Saints keeper Veronica Smeltzer. Limestone had shots on goal from Selina Boveleth in the ninth minute and Holly Rawcliffe in the 11th minute, only to see Tusculum keeper Hannah Graham make the saves.
After shots on goal from Rawcliffe in the 14th minute and Tusculum's Cheyenne Upton in the 17th minute, it was Limestone that got on the board at 19:59 of the first half as Shaw controlled in the box and put a shot past Graham for her fourth goal of the season.
Following a save by Graham on an attempt by Boveleth in the 24th minute, the Pioneers came down and tied the game at 23:54 as Carlie Thornber fed a pass through the top of the box to Radcliffe on the left side, who fired a shot off the post and into the goal for her second of the season and a 1-1 tie.
Graham made yet another save on Limestone's Boveleth in the 28th minute, with Smeltzer stopping Kate Guildford's attempt in the 35th minute. The final chance of the first half came from the Pioneers' Brooke Schreder, who was denied by Smeltzer with 17 seconds left.
Limestone needed less than five minutes of the second half to break the tie, as Alex Mathis crossed a pass along the goal line just out of the reach of Graham and to a waiting Shaw, who roofed her fifth goal of the season and second of the evening for a 2-1 Saints lead with 40:27 to go.
Tusculum put shots on goal from DeHart in the 52nd minute and Elise Gallo in the 82nd minute, but Smeltzer had the save each time. The Pioneers had one final chance to try and tie the match on a corner kick with 22 seconds left, but Carly Mill shot wide and the Saints ran out the clock.
Limestone finished the match with a slender 15-14 edge in shots over Tusculum, including 9-8 in shots on goal. The Pioneers had five corner kicks to one by the Saints, while Tusculum was whistled for 19 fouls and Limestone was called 18 times.
Both Graham and Smeltzer finished with seven saves, with Graham's total one shy of her season high of eight set at Lenoir-Rhyne on Sept. 16.
The Pioneers will be back home to host Lees-McRae on Wednesday at 5 p.m. at Pioneer Field as part of a doubleheader with the men's team against the Bobcats.
