LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Newberry got a third quarter goal from Kristyna Oyola and withstood two offensive chances by Lindenwood in the final minutes to take a 1-0 decision on a neutral field Thursday afternoon.
The win was Newberry’s eighth of the season, matching the school record for wins set with last year’s 8-10 campaign and improving the Wolves’ overall record to 8-3.
The game was also Newberry’s second consecutive win over a team it had never before beaten in the seven-year history of the program, exorcising its demons against Limestone and Lindenwood (6-5) with a pair of one-goal wins in a five-day span after losing the first 30 combined match-ups with the two programs.
“Beating quality teams like Limestone and Lindenwood is a great accomplishment,” said Head Coach Hannah Dave. “Shows that we’ve been able to elevate this program to compete at a high level. Wins like this are now expected and will remain the expectation as we move forward.”
The Wolves scored the decisive goal with just over a minute remaining in the third quarter. Trailing 8-5 in shots at that point in the game, the ball found the stick of Brady Keeler on a breakaway opportunity.
Keeler punched through a perfect pass to Kristyna Oyola, who pulled the trigger just as she crossed into the circle to beat the Lions’ keeper and give the Wolves the tenuous advantage.
Lindenwood was able to manage a shot that went wide and one penalty corner in the first 10 minutes of the fourth period before playing with an empty net for the final 4:54 of the contest.
The Lions controlled possession over the closing moments, forcing Charlotte Bragard to make a save in the 58th minute. A potential equalizing goal immediately following Bragard’s save was waved off, and Lindenwood was able to manage one final desperation shot with two seconds remaining that went wide.
Bragard finished with three saves in three quarters of action. She took over for Shannon Springer, who is typically a defender but made one save on five Lions’ shots in her 15 minutes in the cage.
“We were prepared to make adjustments quickly because we knew Lindenwood would do the same,” Dave said. “We were focused on playing smart defense but attacking hard. Our forwards did a great job at being the first line of defense, especially inside the circle on defensive corners, and were relentless at protecting the cage.”
Mariah Lee was critical defensively in the midfield, making crucial tackles on the line on the left side. Chantel Gauthier and Alice Jackson also played key roles in defending penalty corners.
Newberry will remain in Louisville until today, when the Wolves take on host Bellarmine at 3:00 p.m. in a non-conference clash seeking to extend a two-game winning streak in the series.