WOMEN’S SOCCER

The Huntington women’s soccer team suffered a 5-0 setback on the road Saturday afternoon at Turner Stadium against 14th-ranked Taylor University.

The host Trojans (11-2-3, 5-1-2 CL), riding a three-game winning streak coming into the match, wasted little time establishing control, finding the back of the net just 43 seconds into the contest. Taylor added two more tallies in the opening frame before tacking on a pair of second-half goals to secure their eighth clean sheet of the season.

Junior goalkeeper Macie Sanders was assessed the loss in net for the Foresters, turning aside seven of the 12 shots on goal she faced across a full 90-minute shift.

Huntington managed eight total shots on the afternoon, putting one on frame courtesy of senior forward Sophie Shepherd. Despite the deficit, the Foresters created significant set-piece pressure in the second half, earning a 7-2 advantage in corner kicks over the final 45 minutes to finish with an 8-4 edge for the match. Taylor held a 19-8 margin in overall shots and a 12-1 advantage in shots on goal.

“We all made a commitment to stand together,” said Coach Keaton Albert. “We hope this will build us forward. We will always have each other’s back, no matter how tough the day.”

With the loss, Huntington moves to 7-6-1 overall and 2-6 in Crossroads League play. While the Foresters are officially locked into the upcoming Crossroads League Tournament field, their exact seed hangs in the balance heading into the regular-season finale. Huntington hosts Mount Vernon Nazarene, also carrying a 2-6 CL record, on Wednesday in a high-stakes showdown where the winner will secure the No. 7 seed and the loser will claim the No. 8 spot.

Up Next
The Foresters wrap up regular season play on Wednesday, taking on the Cougars at King Stadium Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.