Box Score SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Converse (2-14, 1-11 CC) soccer team was dealt a 5-0 defeat at the hands of North Greenville (10-5, 8-3 CC) University on Saturday afternoon at Hayden Abney Fulp Field. NGU scored early and often, posting four goals in the opening 45 and never looking back as it came away with the Conference Carolinas win.
Kayla Reeve, Melissa Carlyle and Aidyn Cantor led the Valkyries with two shots each. Darian Bankston played all 90 minutes in goal, allowing five goals and collecting two saves.
Morgan Tyler looked poised to put the Valkyries ahead just two minutes into the contest, but her shot attempt was blocked by the NGU keeper just in time to prevent the go-ahead score. The Crusaders came right back down the field and capitalized on the missed opportunity with a goal by Michaela Gleed in the 5th minute.
That lead doubled to 2-0 in the 18th minute after Gleed sent a short corner towards the goal and Mary Courtney Puryear connected on a header that snuck past the Valkyrie net minder. North Greenville extended its advantage out to 4-0 with a pair of goals within five minutes of each other with just under 15 minutes to play in the opening half.
North Greenville continued to tack on scores, posting its fifth goal of the contest at the 1:58 mark of the second half. Converse had several opportunities to crack the scoreboard, but all of its attempts were either wide of the mark or pushed out of harm's way. The remainder of the half was uneventful and North Greenville came away with the shutout.
Prior to the contest head coach Kaitlyn Kerrigan and the rest of the Valkyries soccer team honored 13 seniors for their contributions to the Converse soccer program.
