The Stetson women's soccer team played the first game of the Georgia road trip Friday night and fell to Kennesaw State 5-2. A slow start would be an understatement as the Owls scored its first goal just 44 seconds into the game. KSU's Caitlin Dingle fired the ball into the lower left side of the net. It was the first of three goals on the night for Dingle.
The Hatters seem to play better after they give up a goal and that was true tonight. Stetson played the Owls even until 31:36 when Dingle scored her second goal and sent the Hatters into halftime down 2-0.
“Although we went down 2-0 at the half, I was really pleased with the way we played tonight”, said Hatters Head Coach Julie Orlowski. “When you push up to try and make up two goals in the second half sometimes you are vulnerable to counter attacks.”
Stetson was controlling the field and moving the ball forward when the Owls took advantage of Stetson's second half push with their third goal of the game at 62:50. The Hatters continued to apply pressure resulting in a corner kick and a goal in the 68th minute. Emily Ware fired the corner kick into the box where it deflected into the net off of KSU's Sadir Williams for an own goal.
Down 3-1 Stetson mounted another charge only to be countered by the Owls' Maylee Attin-Johnson on a three-on-one break away in the 73rd minute.
Stetson senior Jennifer Hays scored her first goal of the season at 77:21 to breathe life into the Hatters' hopes. Freshman Katie Bitetto was credited with an assist on the play. Stetson did all it could to take the game to Kennesaw's end of the field. Once again, however, KSU's Caitlin Dingle scored and completed her hat trick when Stetson goalkeeper Andrea Garavaglia was forced to come out of the net in an attempt to cut off a counter attack break out.
“I was as pleased as possible after losing 5-2. The last few games our intensity was not where it should be”, said Orlowski. “Tonight we were 100% better than we were against Miami. Our weaknesses were very obvious to us and very fixable. We are looking forward to getting a win on this road trip and playing Mercer on Sunday”.
The loss in tonight's conference opener dropped Stetson's record to 2-5-1 overall, 0-1-0 in the A-Sun. Kennesaw State is now 6-2-0, 1-0-0. Stetson will be in Macon, Georgia Sunday to take on the Bears at 3:00 p.m.
