Converse Soccer Blanks King on Senior Day

Converse Soccer Blanks King on Senior Day

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Converse College (4-9-2, 3-6-1 CC) soccer team pitched a shutout against King (2-11-1, 2-8 CC) on Saturday evening at Fulp Field. The Valkyries picked up the win by the final of 3-0 as they also closed out the home portion of the 2017 schedule.

Melissa Carlyle led the Vals with a pair of goals, while Hallie Lycans pitched in two assists on the evening. Anna Claire Albritton posted a score of her own in the victory. Claudia Coffin posted a game-high eight shots.

Converse put the pressure on the Tornado defense early, earning two corner kicks in the first five minutes of action but could not post the game's first score. That all changed in the 13th minute when Hallie Lycans placed a perfect ball through the box that Melissa Carlyle picked up and blasted past the Tornado keeper, giving the home team the early 1-0 advantage.

The Valkyries missed a perfect chance in the 39th minute when Claudia Coffin laced a beautiful pass through the box, but Anna Claire Albritton's header went just wide of the net, sending the teams into the locker room with Converse leading by the slim margin of 1-0.

The missed chances in the first half did not damper the spirits of the Vals to start the second as Albritton finally got in the scoring column after she picked up a through ball in the box from Coffin and calmly snuck it past the keeper for the 2-0 advantage early in the second period.

From that point the Converse defense was lights out, only allowing a total of four shots in the entire game. Carlyle added an insurance goal for the Valkyries in the 89th minute when she took a pass from Lycans and connected on her second goal of the contest, making the final score 3-0 in favor of the Purple and Gold.

For the game Converse outshot King by a wide margin of 21-4 and earned six corners to the Tornado two. Rachel Stalford posted another shutout as she earned the victory after playing all 90 minutes in the cage, collecting two saves.  

The Valkyries will finish out the regular season on Saturday, October 28 as they travel to Tigerville, S.C. to take on the Crusaders of North Greenville University. That contest is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.

Prior to this evening's contest, head coach Rick Parlow and his assistants recognized its two seniors, Nicole Doolitte and Emily Barry for their contributions to the Valkyries soccer program.