Columbia, MO - The Stephens College soccer team made program history Tuesday night, scoring its first-ever goal against Columbia College despite falling 7-1 at Battle High School. Senior Abi Leake etched her name into the record books with a second-half penalty kick, marking a milestone for the Stars against the Cougars.
Columbia got off to a quick start, finding the back of the net just over a minute into the contest. The Cougars extended their lead in the 34th minute to take a 2-0 advantage into halftime. Stephens generated two shots on goal in the opening half, with Eastin Colyer and Charlie Keefe each forcing saves from the Columbia goalkeeper.
The Cougars continued their offensive momentum in the second half, scoring five additional goals to extend their lead to 7-0. However, the Stars continued to battle, creating several scoring opportunities throughout the final 45 minutes.
Stephens broke through in the 73rd minute when Leake converted a penalty kick for her third goal of the season. The goal marked a historic moment for the program, as it was the first goal Stephens has ever scored against Columbia College in program history. The Stars continued to apply offensive pressure following the milestone, with Ada Erondu and Amaura Austell both sending shots off the crossbar.
The Stars finished the match with eight shots, including six in the second half. Austell led Stephens with three shot attempts, while Colyer, Keefe, Phoebe Reel and Leake each recorded a shot on goal. In goal, senior Petra Brncova played all 90 minutes and recorded seven saves.
With the result, Stephens moves to 7-5-3 overall and 3-2-0 in conference play. The Stars continue conference play this weekend with a trip to Arkansas to face Central Baptist College on Saturday at 12:00pm.
