Pioneers Battle in Chilly Conditions, Fall 3-0 to Montreat in AAC Tournament

Montreat, N.C. – Playing in its second postseason tournament in as many years, the No. 9 seed Spartanburg Methodist College women's soccer team dropped a 3-0 decision to No. 8 seed Montreat on Tuesday.

Rainy conditions and temperatures in the 40s made for a chilly night on the pitch, but the host Cavaliers capitalized on their chances, scoring three goals while an aggressive defense kept the visiting Pioneers off the scoreboard.

"I'm proud of how our team continued to fight and stay composed even when things didn't go our way," said SMC head coach Debbie Pekel. "This group showed tremendous growth throughout the season, and getting to the conference tournament says a lot about their commitment and character."

Montreat, which advances to face No. 1 seed and No. 11-ranked Truett McConnell on Saturday, opened the scoring in the 26th minute when Sam Aalbue found the back of the net for the first of her two goals.

SMC nearly found an equalizer in the 77th minute when a shot from Addie Hawkins was blocked by the Montreat defense. The Cavaliers extended their lead in the 81st minute on a goal by Rebeca Cruz Manon before Aalbue added her second goal in the 88th minute to seal the win.

Despite the loss, SMC goalkeeper Ava Wilson recorded six saves to keep the Pioneers within reach for much of the match. Montreat's Anna Weissenfluh made two saves to earn the shutout.

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