Bluefield, WV – The Rams hosted Brenau University on a memorable Senior Night, honoring standout athletes Cheesiemae Tindall, Macy McBride, Liberty Wolf, and Coreyn Lutz. The event was made even more special with the presence of President Dr. Steve Peterson and wife Faith Peterson, Provost Dr. Michael Salmeier, VP of Athletics and Student Development Corey Mullins, Head Coach Patrick Ritter, Assistant Coach Jacob Key, and the entire Women's Soccer team. Together, they celebrated the seniors' achievements and future plans in a heartfelt ceremony.
As the match kicked off, the excitement in the air was palpable. However, the first half saw the Rams trailing as the Brenau Wildcats took an early lead. Despite the setback, goalkeeper Autumn Matthews stood tall, making a crucial save to keep the Rams within striking distance.
The second half brought a renewed sense of determination from the Rams. With just seven minutes remaining, they were awarded a free kick. Macy McBride stepped up to take it, delivering a strong shot that found its way through a crowd of players. The ball eventually reached Kaylei Newman, who seized the opportunity to score, leveling the match at 1-1.
The Rams' defense, led by Matthews, held firm in the closing moments, ensuring that Brenau would not capitalize on any further chances. The game ended in a hard-fought tie, a fitting tribute to the seniors on their special night.
Head Coach Patrick Ritter reflected on the team's resilience: "Today was a big team effort to send our seniors out with a positive result. We're so grateful for the contributions of Macy, Coreyn, Liberty, and Chessie to inspire our Ram Family to get us here. We gave up a set piece goal in the first half but went into halftime with a positive mentality. We saw some really good things that we thought we could capitalize on. There is a fight to this team this year where we believe we're not out of it. We kept knocking on the door with constant pressure and finally we had Kaylei getting a scrappy goal as their goalkeeper dropped the ball with seven minutes left. It takes a lot of resiliency to not give up late and these young ladies have proven all year they will push to the final whistle. We're finding a little momentum at the right time and we hope to keep moving forward with three games to go."
As the Rams look ahead, they will travel to Waleska, GA, on October 19th for a crucial conference match-up against Reinhardt University. The team extends its heartfelt thanks to the seniors once again and wishes them all the best in their future endeavors.
