LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Webster University women's soccer led 3-2 at halftime, but Spalding University responded by scoring two goals within a span of two minutes in the second half en route to a 4-3 win Wednesday evening in St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference action at the Spalding Sports Complex.
With the setback, Webster falls 0-2 on the season and has started league play 0-2 for the first time in the program's history, while Spalding improved to 2-0 and 2-0 in the league. In addition, the win was just the second in 13 matches all-time for Spalding against Webster with both of those wins coming at Spalding.
The four goals scored by Spalding were the most allowed by Webster in a SLIAC match since allowing five goals in a 5-3 setback to Principia College on Oct. 6, 2009. Webster had allowed just one goal in league play the past two seasons.
Playing its first game in a week, Webster got off to a strong start in Wednesday's match as junior forward Jordan Lande (Sachse, Texas/Sachse) took a pass from sophomore defender Reaghan Young (Naperville, Ill./Neuqua Valley) and found the goal just 17 seconds into the match. The goal by Lande was her first of the season and the 25th of her career, which is tied for 15th on the school's all-time chart.
Junior midfielder Jordan Bilyeu (St. Louis, Mo./Lindbergh) gave the Gorloks a 2-0 early in the 16th minute as she scored an unassisted goal.
The Golden Eagles, who last defeated Webster 2-1 in overtime on Oct. 21, 2015, got into the scoring column in the 25th minute as Bailey Whitehead took a shot in box and put the ball in the upper left corner of the goal just out of reach of Webster sophomore goalkeeper Taryn Banfield (Plano, Texas/Plano East) to cut Webster's lead to 2-1.
About four minutes Spalding tied the match on a goal by Ally Johnson as she took a pass in the box from Baeli Young and scored the second goal of the match for the Golden Eagles.
With about 81 seconds left in the first half, Bilyeu would add a second unassisted goal that was tipped off a deflection by the Spalding goalkeeper Jordan Schneider to give Webster a 3-2 lead at the half.
Webster held a 7-5 edge in shots and a 6-3 edge in shots on goal in the first half.
Spalding would tie the match early in the 51st minute as Dori Emig connected on a penalty kick and then about two minutes later, Andrea Hayden would score an unassisted goal to give Spalding a 4-3 lead.
On the season, Webster has allowed seven goals in two matches and has scored a total of five goals.
The Gorloks had a chance to tie the match in the 64th minute, but a header by freshman forward Jennifer Munger (Loganville, Ga.,Grayson) went wide left of the goal and then in the 70th minute, senior midfielder Payton Williams (St. Louis, Mo./Fort Zumwalt East) had a shot on goal that was high.
Lande had a shot that went wide early in the 84th minute.
Banfield prevented Spalding from scoring a fifth goal just 85 seconds left as she made a save on a shot taken by Kendall Brown.
Bilyeu led the Gorloks with three shots and two shots on goal, while Williams and Lande each had two shots in the match.
For the match, Webster was outshot, 12-11 as Spalding held a 7-4 edge in shots after halftime.
Young took four of Spalding's shots, while Emig added three shots in the win.
The Golden Eagles also held a 6-2 advantage in corner kicks.
Banfield (0-2) took the loss in the goal for the Gorloks as she recorded two saves and allowed four goals in 90 minutes of action.
Schneider (2-0) played all 90 minutes in goal for Spalding as she allowed three goals and made three saves.
Webster will return to action this coming Saturday, March 20 as they host Southwestern Illinois College for a 1 p.m. exhibition game at World Wide Technology Soccer Park.
