DALTON, Ga. — The No. 18 University of Tennessee Southern women's soccer team suffered its first Southern States Athletic Conference loss of the season Thursday evening, falling 2-0 to Dalton State at Dalton Stadium.
The setback moves the Firehawks to 13-2-1 overall and 11-1 in SSAC play, snapping a 13-match unbeaten streak.
Despite controlling much of the match statistically, UT Southern was unable to find a breakthrough against a Dalton State defense led by a strong goalkeeping performance.
The Firehawks generated quality opportunities throughout the opening half. Luella Cramer tested the goalkeeper early, while Kamilia Tayebi, Ashanti Lewis, Courtney Hicks, and Mia Saum each created chances as UT Southern searched for the opening goal.
Dalton State struck first in the 25th minute on a penalty kick, taking a 1-0 advantage despite the Firehawks carrying much of the attacking pressure.
UT Southern continued to push forward before halftime. Cramer, Tayebi, Lewis, and Hicks all forced saves, but the Firehawks entered the break trailing by a goal.
The Firehawks came out aggressively in the second half and nearly found an equalizer in the opening minutes. Saum forced a team save following a corner kick, while Cramer and Hicks continued to challenge the Dalton State defense.
Instead, the Roadrunners doubled their lead in the 54th minute to take a 2-0 advantage.
UT Southern refused to back down and continued to attack throughout the remainder of the match. Cramer registered several dangerous attempts, while Tayebi nearly got the Firehawks on the board in the 84th minute when her shot struck the crossbar.
The Firehawks finished the evening with commanding advantages in shots (27-8), shots on goal (12-4), and corner kicks (8-2), but Dalton State's goalkeeper recorded 11 saves to preserve the shutout.
Cramer led UT Southern with seven shots, including three on target. Tayebi added five attempts, while Hicks contributed four shots and Lewis finished with three.
Defensively, freshman goalkeeper Sam De Gier made two saves for the Firehawks.
Although the loss ends UT Southern's unbeaten streak and perfect conference record, the Firehawks remain in strong position entering the final match of the regular season.
Up Next
UT Southern closes the regular season on Saturday with a road trip to No. 23 Life University in a matchup with significant SSAC championship implications. The Firehawks enter the contest at 11-1 in conference play and remain in position to claim the SSAC regular-season title.
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