First Furman shut down due to the ravages of Helena. Then the students went on fall break.
Athletes are like sports journalists. They rarely get to go on holiday.
Fifth-year senior Nieva Gaither netted the lone goal of the match in the 53rd minute and freshman Reese DeJong totaled six saves to help Furman claim a 1-0 victory over ETSU and extend its unbeaten run to nine matches Sunday afternoon at Summers-Taylor Stadium in Johnson City, Tenn.
With under 38 minutes, Jenny Jacobson won the ball on the right side of the box off a cross from the opposite wing and laid a pass off to Gaither, who fired into the left side of the net at the 52:26 mark for her third goal of the season and 20th in 65 appearances as a Paladin.
Despite being outshot 14-11, Furman’ back line notched its second shutout of the week. DeJong, making just her second career start in Southern Conference play, stopped all six of ETSU’s shots on goal to register her second consecutive shutout and third of the year.
“Our back line and holding midfielders did an outstanding job of staying organized and Reese continues to improve each game in goal,” said Paladin head coach Andrew Burr. “Nieva made the most of her chance. She’s scored in three of our last five matches. It’s great to see her finding her goal-scoring form.”
ETSU (3-7-2, 1-3-2 SoCon) finished with a 6-4 edge in shots on goal while the Paladins compiled a 5-2 advantage in corner kicks. Ashton Clair took the loss for the Bucs despite stopping three shots.
The Paladins (7-4-3, 3-0-2 SoCon) return to Stone Soccer Stadium to host Chattanooga in SoCon play on Thursday night at 7 p.m.
Yoshiya Okawa broke a scoreless tie in the 72nd minute to propel UNC Greensboro to a 1-0 victory over Furman in Southern Conference men’s soccer action Saturday evening.
After the Spartans, ranked No. 23 in the latest Top Drawer Soccer Top 25, were awarded a free kick at the top of the box, Okawa hammered a left-footed strike into the left side of the net on the set piece at 71:04 for the eventual match-winning score.
The goal marked the fifth of the season for Okawa.
Llyod Wamu Snell and Christian Kraus each tallied shots on goal in the final 18 minutes, but UNCG’s Tim Baerwalde came up with saves on both attempts to keep the Paladins off the board and earn the shutout in goal.
The victory improved UNCG to 6-1-4 overall and 1-0-1 in the SoCon, while Furman slipped to 4-3-2 overall and 0-1 in league play.
Furman returns to action on Tuesday in Clinton for a 7 p.m. start versus Presbyterian.
Men’s tennis continued its fall season by combining to capture four victories during the ITA Carolina Regional Championship Cary (N.C.) Tennis Park.
The Paladins, who were competing in their second fall tournament of the season, recorded three victories in singles play and one in doubles.
Furman is back in action Oct. 25-27 at the Elon (N.C.) Invitational.
Skye Ekes and Sophia Henry combined for 25 kills on Saturday evening to lift the Mercer Bears to a 3-0 (21-25, 15-25, 21-25) victory over the Paladins in Southern Conference volleyball at Hawkins Arena in Macon, Ga.
Furman falls to 7-7 overall and 1-2 in the SoCon while Mercer improves to 14-4 and 4-1.
For the second consecutive match, Chandler Parker led the Paladins offensively with 10 kills on .364 hitting, and contributed three digs and three assisted blocks.
Furman is back on the road next weekend, Oct. 18-19, traveling to Wofford and The Citadel.
Four different Bulldogs recorded double-doubles on Friday evening to lead Samford to a 3-1 (21-25, 23-25, 25-23, 13-25) Southern Conference victory over the Furman volleyball team at the Pete Hanna Center in Homewood, Ala.
Chandler Parker paced the Paladin offense with 13 kills on .357 hitting while Ava Augustson, Genevieve Perry, and Brooke Scheffler each registered nine.
Senior Madelynne Cadeau finished second in the Women’s Gold 5K, while junior Luke Taylor finished third in the Men’s Gold 8K Friday at the Royals Cross Country Challenge at McAlpine Creek Park in Charlotte, N.C.
The Paladins will compete at the Wisconsin Pre-Nationals in Madison, Wis., and the Upstate Invitational in Spartanburg, S.C., on Oct. 19.
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Nightrider's Lament 