Playing with tremendous hustle the entire 90 minutes, junior Ellie Crisler broke open a scoreless battle with a goal in the 64th minute to propel Lee to a 1-0 victory on the Robert P. Longabaugh Field. The win improved the Lady Flames to 6-0 overall and 3-0 in GSC play. Host Mississippi College dropped to 4-2 and 2-1.
Crisler’s winning shot was unassisted and sailed past the Choctaw goalkeeper Sarah Maleski to the lower right and into the back of the net. All totaled the defensive battle saw the Lady Flames fire 10 shots and place four on goal.
Maleski registered three saves. The Choctaws had 11 shots but only three on target. Jackie Burns had three saves in recording the victory.
Crisler finished the afternoon with two shots while Mallory Hayden and Riley Henry had Lee’s other shots on goal. Beatrice Erin Hederman and Holly Pascoe fired the other Choctaw shots on goal. Lee had five corner kicks to six for Mississippi College in the evenly played game.
“It was a big win for our team and for our program. We beat a really good team today,” said Lee coach Chris Hennessey. “I’m very proud of our girls. We gave a great effort against very physical team and matched their effort in all areas the entire afternoon.”
The Lady Flames will get a day of needed rest before returning to their road adventures at Delta State on Sunday at 2 p.m. “It’s a game against another good conference team,” noted Hennessey. “We just have to get ready to play after a big win today and not suffer a letdown after a win against a big rival.”