JOHNSON, Vt. (September 25, 2010) – Johnson State College women's soccer won their North Atlantic Conference (NAC) opener on Saturday and their fifth consecutive match overall but defeating visiting Maine Maritime Academy 2-1 on Minaert Field.  The Badgers move to 5-2 overall, 1-0 NAC while MMA moves to 2-4-1 overall and 0-1 NAC.

 

After a scoreless first half of play Johnson State would net their first goal in the 50th minute when sophomore Ally Bataille (Watebury, Vt./Harwood) chased down a long pass over the MMA defense and was fouled inside the penalty box resulting in the penalty kick.  Bataille beat MMA keeper Lacey Jackson (York, Penn.) high and just under the crossbar to make the score 1-0 Johnson.

 

Just four minutes later Kelsie Perdue (Barre, Vt./Spaulding) sent a bounding pass in front of the net from the left side where Kyleigh Joseph (Hancock, N.H./Hancock) outdueled an MMA defender and got just enough foot on the ball to send it past Jackson for an impressive score and a 2-0 Badger lead.

 

Maine Maritime would turn up their offensive pressure and create several good chances, breaking through with 8:14 remaining in the match.  Callie Thompson (Windsor, Maine) took a long pass over the JSC defense, shot, saw Johnson keeper Amber McCullock (Morrisville, Vt./Peoples) make the initial save, but the ball would rebound back to Thompson who then had just the empty goal in front of her and put the ball into the net for a 2-1 tally.

 

From there the Badgers would hold on to the lead with McCullock picking up the win by recording nine saves.  In the losing effort Jackson made six stops.

 

Johnson will host another NAC foe on Sunday at 2:00 pm in Husson University while MMA will travel east to play at Lyndon State, also a NAC contest and also at 2:00 pm.