Site: Winston-Salem, N.C.
Score: Southern Virginia 4, Salem 2
Records: Salem (5-6-1, 1-2-1 USA South) / Southern Virginia (6-5-1, 2-1-1 USA South)
Up Next: Salem at William Peace (Saturday, October 15 / 4 p.m.)
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Southern Virginia broke a one-all deadlock with three second half goals, including the game-winner from Hailey Gadd, to earn a 4-2 victory over Salem in USA South soccer action on Tuesday afternoon at Varsity Field.
The Spirits grabbed the lead early when Ashley Linden scored on a penalty kick, driving the ball through the right side of the net, in the 11th-minute, following a handball by a Southern Virginia defender.
Madison Sollis evened the score at 1-1 just over 11 minutes later on an unassisted pass as the two teams remained scoreless throughout the remainder of the half.
Just over six minutes into the second half, in the 51st-minute, Sollis provided the Knights their first lead of the game with her second strike of the afternoon. Salem answered with a goal from Darilyn Nieto, who drove a ball over the outstretched hands of Brooklyn Larson to even the match at 2-2 in the 71st-minute.
The tie was brief as Southern Virginia forged back in front at the with the Gadd strike just over four minutes after Nieto's goal. Morgan Romney drove home an insurance goal in the 84th-minute for the Knights, resulting in the 4-2 final.
Salem closed out the game with nine shots, including six shots on goal, while Southern Virginia's offense countered with 23 shots (11 shots on goal) in the match.
Jordan Tomberlin (5-6-1) capped off the match with seven saves for the Spirits, while the tandem of Alyssa Trueman and Larson combined for four saves in the triumph for Southern Virginia. Larson picked up her first win of the season in net after making a save and facing two shots on goal in the second half.
SALEM NOTES
-The Knights evened the series at 2-2-0 with their second straight win in the head-to-head series.
-Ashley Linden has scored goals in her last two contests for the Spirits. That is the second time this season that she has at least one goal in consecutive matches after opening the slate with goals against Regent, Sweet Briar and Averett.
-The pair of Ashley Linden and Darilyn Nieto are tied for the team lead in goals in USA South Conference play for the Spirits with two each.
-Darilyn Nieto scored her 12th goal of the 2022 season, giving her the fourth-most goal by a Salem first year player in program history. She needs one goal to move into a third-place tie with Maddie Crumpton and three to equal the program record set by Tarryn Johnson and Alexi Saganich.
