Knights bounce back, blank SDSU Aztecs to win first game

After falling to the Florida Gators in the opening match of the season, the Knights women's soccer team earned its first win Friday at the UCF Soccer Complex, with a 2-0 victory over the San Diego State Aztecs.  

With a considerably smaller crowd on hand, the Knights improved their record to 1-1-0 on the season, as San Diego State dropped to 1-2-0.  

Juniors Katie Jackson and Stacie Hubbard each scored their first goals of the season.

Just 5:15 into the match, on a right cross from sophomore Tishia Jewell, Jackson was able to play the ball off of a bounce and score from fifteen yards out.  

"We all pressed them at the same time, so it was a good attack as far as intensity" Jackson said.  

Following Jackson's goal, Hubbard put one in the back of the net.

Off of a bad clear by San Diego State goalkeeper Aubree Southwick, Hubbard played it off her chest and put it in to the right side of the goal.  

The rough loss to the No. 11-ranked Gators left a sour taste in the Knights' mouths, but the players said they're warming up.

Striking early seemed to be the key to the Knights coming away with the win.  

"The irony is, we scored two goals in the first half, and I thought we played better in the second half" head coach Amanda Cromwell said.  "We sured a few things up on defense in the second half, but we just didn't finish on our scoring chances when we had the ball."

"We are definitely settling down and getting used to new players and some players adjusting to playing new positions." Hubbard said. "It's getting better."

With the Knights improving as the match went on, the physicality of their defense improved as well.  They not only preserved the shut out, but did not allow a single shot on goal the entire match.

"It was very important to defend well, and we got better today" Cromwell said.  "We obviously aren't where we are going to be by the end of the season, but we will get better with every game. Coming away with this win was very important."

The next matchup for the Knights will be against in-state rival South Florida, Sept. 3, in Tampa. The Bulls (2-0-0) have dominated the game offensively in their first two matches against the North Florida Ospreys and the

Murray State Racers. USF scored four goals a piece in each contest and junior Chelsea Klotz has jumped out to a hot start with three goals on the season.

The Knights will return home to play the Virginia Commonwealth University Rams Sept. 5 at 1 p.m.