VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – The offense of the Guilford College women's soccer team could not find traction in the second half, ultimately falling in a marque Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) clash to Virginia Wesleyan University, 2-1 on Wednesday evening at Foster Field at the Tassos Paphites Soccer Complex.

The Quakers see their five-match point streak in ODAC play halted, dropping their first contest since their ODAC opener on September 28^th, and as a result they fall to 10-3-2, 4-2-1 in conference competition. The Marlins improve to 6-4-3, 6-1-0 in league play.

Ady Franken (Peoria, Ill.) saw her run of 490 minutes of shutout soccer come to an end early in the match, but still made five saves against two goals allowed, one of them on a penalty kick, facing 14 total shots. As a result, she fell to 9-3-2. Allie Greco improved to 4-1-1 by making three saves against a single goal permitted on the eight shots sent her way.

Ashlyn Miller (Charlotte, N.C.) scored her first goal of the season for Guilford with Naomi Anderson (Youngsville, N.C.) picking up the helper. Anderson was also the lone Quaker to manage multiple shot attempts on the day, sending two looks in that direction with one of them threatening net. Grace Overton (Apex, N.C.) and Jenna Shotton (Walnut Cove, N.C.) also had shots on target. Only a quartet of Marlins attempted a shot in the match with Alaina Alston leading the bunch with a game-high six, three of them on frame. Emma Nguyen and Adrianna Gunther were the goal-scorers taking three and two shots respectively, two on net apiece. Nguyen's goal was the game-winner, her first of the year. Shyenne Diaz took two shots for the Marlins.

The home team wasted virtually no time getting on the board, possessing the ball to open the game and utilizing some crisp passing to build up and flip the field. Nguyen gathered along the left sideline, then made a move to beat the Quaker defender to the outside. She got deep, nearly to the flag and used her left foot to send one across the box. A ball that, off her boot appeared to be a cross, instead sliced back and found the corner of the net on the weak side for her third goal of the year, granting the Marlins the advantage just 47 seconds in.

Things settled down for a while, but the Marlins struck again in the 38^th minute. A chip into the box resulted in congestion, collisions, and a call against Franken who was accused of not making a play on the ball when she came up off her line. As a result, Virginia Wesleyan was granted a penalty kick as they turned to Gunther, who tucked it under the diving Franken to her right, doubling their lead with her first tally of the season.

The Quakers would cut into the deficit just moments later. Working up the right sideline, Anderson battled through and out of a double-team as a defender dropped to the Foster Field grass. She got a pass off into the box, short-hopping over the foot of a lunging defender where Miller was able to get a redirect, flipping her left foot at it from the top of the six-yard box and chipping it over the closing goalie for her first goal of the season in the 41^st minute.

Guilford had their chances in the opening 45, outshooting VWU, 7-5, including 4-3 in shots on goal. However, they could not take advantage, and it would end up costing them.

The defense of the Marlins tightened into the second half, ramping up the pressure and deterring any Quaker attempts to even the score. GC was held without a shot for over 38 minutes of play, but they finally did get a chance in the 84^th minute. On the attack, Anderson maneuvered up the pitch, and got tripped up by a defender, granting the guests a free kick from a good spot, just a few yards beyond the 18' straight-away. Kylee Berry (Kernersville, N.C.) took the chance, but she missed the net high as Guilford would finish the half without a shot on frame, getting outshot overall, 9-1 in the stanza. Ultimately, that would result in the final tallies remaining at 2-1.

The Quakers return to the friendly confines of Appenzeller Field to host Sweet Briar College on Saturday, October 26^th for a Senior Day contest. Kickoff is set for 2:00 PM

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