Defiance shut out, 4-0, in season opener at Saint Francis

FORT WAYNE, Ind. -- Defiance College women's soccer kicked off the 2024 season on the road with a 4-0 loss to the Saint Francis Cougars at D'Arcy Stadium on Saturday.

The match was the Yellow Jackets' (0-1) first soccer match since becoming members of the NAIA and the first meeting against the Cougars since 2008.

Saint Francis played a possession-heavy game to keep the Jackets away from the ball and scored twice in each half while outshooting DC 36-1. Grace Morris punched through a pair of goals for the Cougars while Haley Roberson was involved on the first and last goals of the contest with a score and assist.

THE TURNING POINT
Playing to a scoreless tie through the first 22 minutes, Saint Francis worked the ball deep into Defiance's end when USF's Taylor Swygart fed a cross to Roberson right in front of the net as she punched in the first goal of the contest. Just under three minutes later, Morris used some open space and booted a line drive into the net from 26 yards away for a two-goal lead.

A CLOSER LOOK

• Lexi Coward recorded Defiance's lone shot of the game during the 65th minute
• Transfers to DC Reagan Camp, Chloe Kern and Avani Abhyankar all made their Defiance debuts
• Freshman Destiny Pier, Amanda Barnes and Creedence Chittenden played all 90 minutes in their collegiate debuts while Mariah Crisp also got her first taste of college soccer
• Madison Hert played all 90 minutes in goal and made career-high 12 saves
• Saint Francis took all 15 corner kicks in the contest

UP NEXT
The Yellow Jackets travel to Great Lakes Christian next Saturday for a 2 p.m. kickoff at Henderson Field in Lansing, Mich.

-JACKETS-