BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — The WKU soccer team earned a crucial 1-0 win against UAB on Friday night at the WKU Soccer Complex, thanks in part to the play of the four seniors the Lady Toppers honored postgame.
WKU improves to 9-6-1 on the season and 5-4 in conference play.
Seniors Chandler Backes, Kaylyn Bryant, Christina Bragado and Anne-Marie Ulliac were all honored during a Senior Night ceremony following the game after competing in their final match at the WKU Soccer Complex.
In the end, all four played a major role in the Lady Topper's victory. Backes scored the game-winning goal in the second half. Ulliac got the clean sheet. Defenders Bryant and Bragado formed the wall that allowed only two shots on goal for the Blazers on the evening.
Through the first half of play, neither team was able to score but the Lady Toppers were creating opportunities. WKU was outshooting the Blazers, 12-3, going into the break.
Twenty minutes into the second half, Backes finally got one to go for WKU. The senior made a move to get free from about 20 yards out and sent the ball over the keeper's head into the top left corner.
With a 1-0 lead, the Lady Toppers went on the defense to prevent an equalizer. As the clock closed ticked down, UAB began to pressure even more. A Blazer player was able to put a shot on that looked out of reach for Ulliac, but the redshirt senior keeper made a leaping save to punch the ball back out.
Backes' goal was the 20th of her career which stands as the eighth most in program history. Her 48 career points are also tied for the eighth highest in school history.
It was the sixth shutout of the season for Ulliac and the seventh for the team. It was also the seventh time this season that backline held the opposing to less than 10 shots total in the game and the two shots on goal by UAB tied a season low SOG allowed by the Lady Toppers.
WKU concludes the regular season on the road at Marshall on Friday, Nov. 1.
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