GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Sydney Grant scored a goal and assisted on another as Tusculum University defeated Mars Hill University 2-0 in South Atlantic Conference women's soccer action Wednesday at Pioneer Field.
Lakin Pennington scored 8 1/2 minutes after Grant's goal in the first half as the Pioneers (1-3-1, 1-1-0 SAC) gave first-year head coach Vanessa Fyffe her first career victory.
Tusculum outshot Mars Hill (3-1-1, 1-1-0 SAC) by a 12-7 margin, and Pioneer keeper Grayson Patterson earned her first shutout of the season and the eighth of her career by making three saves.
Grant has scored or assisted on four of the Pioneers' five goals this season. Her goal in the 31st minute gave Tusculum a 1-0 lead, and she followed up by connecting on a cross to Pennington for her first goal as a Pioneer in the 39th minute.
The Pioneers had the first shot on goal of the match in the 14th minute, but Tanna Bookhamer's attempt was stopped by Lions keeper Camryn Miller.
Just past 30 minutes, Grant collected the ball on the right side and drove toward the goal, sending a shot to the far corner past Miller for her third of the year at 30:06.
The Pioneers would stretch their lead to 2-0 at 38:46 as McKenzie Hanson passed ahead to Grant, who crossed to Pennington on the left side. Pennington chipped a shot that cleared Miller and went just under the crossbar for her first of the season.
Tusculum would have two more scoring chances late in the half, but Miller made saves on Grant in the 41st minute and Lexus Singleton in the 42nd minute.
The Pioneers were content to sit on its two-goal advantage in the second half, yielding shots on goal to the Lions' Carla Humera in the 75th minute and Nyjah Turner from distance in the 77th minute. Mars Hill did not have a shot attempt in the final 13 1/2 minutes while Tusculum's last effort came from Pennington in the 80th minute.
Miller finished the match with four saves for the Lions, who were whistled for 17 fouls to six for the Pioneers. Tusculum had a 4-2 edge in corner kicks, and both teams were flagged once for offsides.
Tusculum will travel to third-ranked Catawba on Saturday at 5 p.m. The Indians remained undefeated at 6-0 with a 2-1 win at Wingate on Wednesday night.
