FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. – At the rain-drenched Duggins Soccer Complex that saw plenty of paper distributed to the tune of seven cards, including a red, the Guilford College women's soccer team got back on track, besting Methodist University, 2-0, on Wednesday evening.

After suffering their first defeat over the weekend, GC secures the bounce-back victory to improve to 5-1-0 on the season. The Monarchs, on the other hand, hitting the pitch for the first time in ten days, found themselves unable to contain their physicality, taking five of the evening's six cautions, plus an ejection and the defeat, to fall to 1-3-0.

After a one-game hiatus, it was back to racking-up shutouts for Ady Franken (Peoria, Ill.), contributing to her fifth clean sheet in six games by making a quartet of saves on the six total shots she faced to improve to 5-1-0. MU keeper, Carolina Simpkins, performed admirably given the slick conditions and 15 total shots sent her way, making eight stops, but fell to 1-2-0.

Emily Parker (Lillington, N.C.) netted the first game-winning tally, and second overall score, in her short time as a Quaker. Naomi Campbell (Youngsville, N.C.) pitched in the insurance goal later in the contest, finding the back of the net for the fourth time in the last five matches. Mya Rivera (Parish, Fla.) was credited with an assist. Six separate Monarchs attempted shots on the night with Charly Oldham, Kelsey Burge, Lolo Campbell, and Camryn Piper all getting looks on frame.

The first half of play lacked flow with the tempo being dictated more by the raindrops and whistles, than the players themselves. Methodist got the first couple of scoring opportunities, attempting half of the four shots they got on net on the evening, over the course of the opening 12 minutes of play. Guilford then began to seize control and the big turning point came at the 12:41 mark. With the Quakers making a run, Aliye Carter, as the final defender back for the hosts but grasped the jersey of the Campbell, drawing a red card putting GC on the woman-advantage for the rest of the night. A night that, as it turned out, was about to get a bit longer as before play had even been resumed, lightning struck in the region forcing the match into a delay for nearly an hour.

Out of the break, the cardinal and grey continued to maintain their momentum with multiple successful build-ups in a methodical manner, but it ended up being a quick-strike that resulted in the advantage. After a ball was sent in Franken's general direction and was handled with ease, the Quaker keeper send a long drop kick that sailed beyond the mid-field strike where it found the head of Ainsley Yates (West End, N.C.) who masterfully redirected the ball towards the right wing, leading Parker on a run down that side. Beating the defender, Parker got a clean look from the top-right corner of 18', sending her left foot through the ball and the ball into the upper-left corner of the twine to give GC the advantage in the 36^th minute.

The Quakers held the advantage on the scoreboard at the half, but it was not without resistance as the shot tallies were even at five apiece including three on frame for the Monarchs against four by the guests.

GC extended their lead in the 50^th minute of action. On a throw in on the right sideline, Rivera opted to toss it long, and on a single bounce she was able to connect with Campbell. With the graduate student's back facing the net, she was able to turn and rip an absolute beauty of a shot, tucking her look just inside of the top-left '90 to double the edge with her fifth score of the season.

Having staking themselves to a multi-goal edge early in the stanza, Guilford commanded the pace for the remainder of the time, generally opting to ease-back and allow their defense to do a lion's share of the rest of the work, limiting MU to just one shot attempt. However, they also advantageously attacked, taking ten second-half shots on their way to finalizing the 2-0 victory.

Returning to their home pitch for Homecoming Saturday, the Quakers host Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) foe Randolph-Macon College in an out-of-league game this weekend, on September 21^st. The battle opposite the Yellow Jackets will transpire under the lights with first kick at 6:00 PM.  

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