JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - The Stetson women's soccer team outlasted the Jacksonville Dolphins in a 1-0 victory on Thursday night at Southern Oak Stadium for their first win of the 2023 regular season. Georgia Place registered the go-ahead goal in the 26th minute off a smooth feed from Gende to provide the scoring effort for the Hatters.
 
"It's great to get a shutout and a great team effort," exclaimed Head Coach Chris Bergmann. "We executed the game plan exactly how we wanted to. The team was unfazed and put together a complete game to get the win especially in conference because that is when it counts the most. They wanted to come out and prove something."
 
From kick-off, the Hatters seemed revamped with a new energy to their play. Their spacing was excellent, passing was crisp and possession key. The Hatters welcomed the return of their captain, Anna Brethauer, to the pitch as she returned after missing their last two matches and stability to the back line. Brethauer's presence in this game was palpable as you could notice the boost that she provided to the back line, allowing Lea Alexender to push forward into space and create several runs for the Hatters down the right side.
 
The Hatters wasted no time as on a corner kick the ball seemed to cross the goal line in the 6^th minute off the foot of Kelly, however, the referee disagreed so play continued. As Stetson continued to push as in the 20^th minute, Brethauer would have an opportunity that would evade the keepers reach but clank off the cross bar keeping the game knotted at zero. The Hatters would finally find paydirt as Gende was able to evade a couple of defenders and make a brilliant pass to Place, who slide it under the left arm of the goalkeeper for her first goal of the season making it 1-0. Both teams would continue trading opportunities as in the 38^th minute but goalkeeper Mallory Osborn fended off the opposing opportunities with a spectacular save to her left to keep the game from being tied.
 
After halftime, the intensity for both teams continued to build as the Hatters physicality was leaned on to keep the Dolphins from climbing back into the game. In the 50^th minute, Sawyer Hawkins would flick a header just over the crossbar, narrowly missing a would be insurance goal. The Hatters continued controlling possession through much of the second half as in the 65^thminute an opportunity for Place would leave her right foot before going just over the crossbar. Kylie Overstreet played on the backline for much of the second half, however, she was able to find space as well, carrying the ball up the field when she drew a foul in the 71^st minute just outside the box. Place would line up for the free kick, getting blocked on her first attempt, but was able to slot it through on her second as it would ricochet off Hannah Arvay onto the foot of Alexander, who put it in the back of the net. However, the side judge would rule Alexander offsides, keeping the score 1-0. 
 
The pace and intensity continued to grow into the last ten minutes of the game as the Hatters remained focused on beating a conference foe for their first win of the season. The back line of the Hatters remained strong as they made several strong tackles to stall the Dolphins runs and keep the lead in tact.
 
Osborn earned her first clean sheet of the season as she made all seven of her saves. The Hatters totaled 13 shots as Gende led the team with three. 

About Stetson University Athletics: Stetson University's Athletics Program is driven by a shared purpose. It is what inspires, motivates and binds us together. More than a task, a reason for being. THE HATTER PURPOSE is to create and provide an experience of a lifetime through teamwork and relationships to achieve excellence. This purpose is achieved through five Core Values: Communication, Integrity, Excellence, Value People and Commitment. To learn more about the HATS program and our Core Values, visit GoHatters.com/HATS.

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