Maryville, TN- With several key players from last season's AAC Conference Finalist team having graduated this past spring, the Lady Scots soccer team needs both new and veteran players alike to step up and play well in the upcoming season. If Tuesday night's season opener against Maryville College was any indication, it appears that the Lady Scots are well on their way.
Facing the difficult task of opening their season on the road, the Lady Scots traveled two hours north to face the similarly named Maryville College Lady Scots. A fellow member of the NCAA Division III, Maryville would provide a good test for where the Covenant ladies stand as they enter the 2009 season as provisional Division III members. And, in just the fifth minute after kickoff, it was the Covenant Scots who drew first blood. Freshman Lauren Probst latched onto a Leigh Graham ball and flicked it beyond the reach of Maryville goalkeeper Desiree Simmons for the Lady Scot's first goal of the season. The two teams fought hard for the remainder of the first half, as Covenant's sophomore goalkeeper Bethany Holman made several key saves to deny Maryville. However, Covenant's defense was finally broken in the second half when Maryville's Kylie Ghering scored to level matters at 1-1. It was Covenant's Probst, though, who would net the decisive goal, scoring her second of the game after a great pass from senior Jenny Carter. The goal, which came in the 83rd minute, left little time for Maryville to respond, and the Covenant Scots held on for the prevailing 2-1 victory in their season opener.
The Lady Scots must now face Sewanee, Milligan, and Bluefield on the road, before returning home on September 23rd to face Lee University.
