BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — The WKU soccer season came to a close on Wednesday evening with a 2-1 loss to Charlotte in the quarterfinals of the Conference USA Championship.
The Lady Toppers finish the season 10-7-1 overall and 6-4 in C-USA play. WKU has had at least 10 wins in 14 out of 19 seasons as a program.
WKU scored first in the match with a goal in the 22nd minute. Chandler Backes brought down a pass inside the 18-yard box and got the ball past three 49er defenders and rocketed the ball to the left of the goal off her left foot.
That lead held until the 40th minute when Charlotte scored off a set piece on a corner kick. In the second half, the 49ers took the lead for good after a flurry of shots sent the ball bouncing out to a Charlotte player who played it past Anne-Marie Ulliac.
With 1:54 remaining in the match, lightning in the area caused a weather delay for the two teams. After 30 minutes, the two teams retook the pitch but WKU was unable to score the equalizer.
Backes ends her WKU career with the eighth most career goals in program history, scoring 21 times in her four-year career including three this season.
Seniors Kaylyn Bryant, Christina Bragado and Ulliac led the WKU defense to an impressive season in the backfield. The Lady Toppers gave up multiple goals in a match only five times this season and posted seven shutouts on the year.
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