MIDWAY, Ky. - Three first-half goals proved to be enough for the Midway women's soccer team as the Eagles held off a second-half comeback attempt from Defiance to earn a 3-2 victory Sunday afternoon at Midway Turf Field.
Midway controlled much of the action in the opening half, outshooting the Yellow Jackets 9-2 while putting five attempts on frame.
After creating several early opportunities, the Eagles finally broke through in the 20th minute.
Addison Hazlett helped create the opportunity, finding Chloe Kemper, who put away her first goal of the season at the 19:14 mark to give Midway a 1-0 advantage.
The Eagles needed just 84 seconds to strike again.
This time, Kemper turned from scorer to distributor, setting up Courtney Hale for her first goal of the season at 20:38 to quickly double Midway's advantage.
Midway continued to control the opening half and nearly added to its lead on multiple occasions. Sydney Eastman forced a save in the 30th minute before Hazlett had a pair of attempts blocked late in the half.
The Eagles eventually found their third goal with just 45 seconds remaining before halftime.
Hazlett picked up her second assist of the afternoon, finding Lacee Brown for her first goal of the season to send Midway into the break with a commanding 3-0 advantage.
Defiance came out of halftime looking to change the complexion of the match. Both sides would make changes between the pipes as Briley Hudnall made her first collegiate appearance for the Eagles and Haley Hughes entered for the Yellow Jackets.
The Yellow Jackets applied consistent pressure throughout the second half, recording 13 shots after being held to just two in the opening 45 minutes.
Hudnall immediately found herself busy. She made four saves in the opening 10 minutes of the period to preserve Midway's three-goal advantage.
The Eagles continued to withstand the pressure until Defiance finally broke through in the 75th minute. Tatum Oberhauser found the back of the net at 74:19 to cut Midway's advantage to 3-1.
Less than three minutes later, the Yellow Jackets struck again.
Reagan Camp scored at 76:55 to suddenly make it a one-goal contest with more than 13 minutes remaining.
Midway's defense responded when it mattered most.
The Eagles kept Defiance off the scoreboard for the remainder of the match, protecting the one-goal advantage through the final whistle to secure the 3-2 victory.
Hazlett was at the center of the Midway attack throughout the afternoon, recording two assists while firing a match-high seven shots, including three on goal.
Kemper finished with three points after recording a goal and an assist, while Hale and Brown each scored their first goals of the season.
Midway finished with a 16-15 advantage in total shots, while Defiance held a 9-8 edge in shots on goal.
The Eagles' two goalkeepers combined for seven saves. Lilly Riordan stopped both shots she faced in the opening half, while Hudnall recorded five saves in the second.
With the victory, Midway improves to 3-0 on the season, while Defiance falls to 1-3.
UP NEXT
Midway hits the road for the first time this season when the Eagles travel to Cincinnati-Clermont on Friday evening.
About Midway University Athletics
Midway University competes in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and its 29 athletics teams are part of the River States Conference, Mid-South Conference, the Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association, and USA Archery. For more information about Midway University Athletics, please visit www.gomidwayeagles.com or contact Tyler Beck at 859-846-5366.
