ALLIANCE, Ohio (August 30) – After trailing 1-0 at the half, the Waynesburg University women's soccer team tallied two second half goals to triumph over Mount Union in the Jackets' season opener in Ohio on Friday night.

Hailey Gilchrest (Hanover, Va. / Hanover)  scored the tying goal with under 25 minutes remaining and Waverly Lorne (New Providence, N.J. / Governor Livingston) provided the game-winner in the 89th minute. 

Waynesburg moves to 1-0 on the year while Mount Union falls to 0-1.

With Waynesburg trailing 1-0 and Mount Union holding an 8-1 edge in shots in the second half, Gilchrest found an equalizer in the 67th minute. Sutton Clark (Ashburn, Va. / Stone Bridge) received a pass in the middle of the field about 45 yards from goal and sent a diagonal pass forward up the right side. Gilchrest and the keeper raced for the ball and Gilchrest slotted a wide-angled shot under the sliding goalie and into the opposite left corner for the game-tying tally. 

The Jackets had a prime scoring opportunity in the waning minutes. Waynesburg earned a free kick just beyond the 18-yard box with five minutes left. Reagan Mittendorf (Bluffton, Ohio / Bluffton) had her well-struck attempt parried by the Mount Union keeper and Julz Mohrbacher (Freedom, Pa. / Freedom) pounced on the loose ball, but her point-blank volley soared high of the crossbar.

Waynesburg earned a corner kick with 1:06 left in regulation after a well-struck shot by Mittendorf was sent away, and rather than blasting the ball into the box, the Jackets played to Lorne. She collected the ball 20 yards from the end line, near the left sideline, smashed a ball beyond Mount Union goalie and into the top right corner of the frame for the game-winner.

The game started with 40 minutes of scoreless soccer with Waynesburg holding a 4-1 edge in shots over the first 37 minutes of action.

Sutton nearly started the scoring in the 19th minute as Mohrbacher ficked a ball beyond the Mount Union back line and Clark's one-on-one attempt trickled wide left past the charging Mount Union keeper.

Mount Union found secured the game's first goal via a penalty kick in the 41st minute. The Purple Raiders were pursuing a pass into the 18-yard box where a collision prevented the offensive player from playing the ball. The official blew the whistle and indicated a penalty. Waynesburg goalkeeper Alexus Greenlief (Chester, W. Va. / Oak Glen) guess correctly by diving to her right but was unable to reach the well-placed shot in the bottom left corner of the net.

The Jackets opened and closed the half with long-distances shots that sailed high. Waynesburg held a 5-4 edge in shots in the opening 45 minutes. 

Greenlief kept the Jackets in the game with a pair of saves in the opening 15 minutes of the second period. She snared what could have been a dangerous wide cross out of the air in the first minute of the half and denied a grounded attempt from the right side of the penalty area.


After Gilchrest's tying goal, the Purple Raiders recorded the next six shots attempts but came up empty. Waynesburg took the final five shots of the game, all in the last seven minutes of regulation. 

The Jackets  did not allow a run-of-play goal in the contest. The Purple Raiders held an 18-12 edge in shots (6-5 SOG) and had a 5-2 advantage in corner kicks. 

Greenlief made five saves in the win. Mittendorf led the Jackets with five shots and joined Gilchrest with two shots on goal.

The Jackets return to action at La Roche on Wednesday evening.